Highest Average IQ by Country (2016 update) | List 25

[Martian2]

The list of the 25 countries with the highest average IQ is interesting for its correlation with industrialized countries.

The only exception is Mongolia, because their population of three million is too small to industrialize. Small European countries can rely on the European Union for technological and financial help. Mongolia has no equivalent access to technological assistance.

The critical unanswered question is: How important is average IQ to the industrialization of a country?

China has a high average IQ and its industrialization was never in doubt.

However, can a lower average IQ country industrialize? That has not happened yet in the world. Will it happen in our lifetime? I don't know.
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25 Countries With The Highest Average IQ | List 25 (January 31, 2018)

1. Hong Kong 107 (average IQ)
2. South Korea 106
3. Japan 105
4. Taiwan 104
5. Singapore 103
6. Austria 102
7. Germany 102
8. Italy 102
9. Netherlands 102
10. Sweden 101
11. Switzerland 101
12. Belgium 100
13. China 100
14. New Zealand 100
15. United Kingdom 100
16. Hungary 99
17. Poland 99
18. Spain 99
19. Australia 98
20. Denmark 98
21. France 98
22. Mongolia 98
23. Norway 98
24. United States 98
25. Canada 97

 

[UKBengali]

The list of the 25 countries with the highest average IQ is interesting for its correlation with industrialized countries.

The only exception is Mongolia, because their population of three million is too small to industrialize. Small European countries can rely on the European Union for technological and financial help. Mongolia has no equivalent access to technological assistance.

The critical unanswered question is how important is average IQ to the industrialization of a country?

China has a high average IQ and its industrialization was never in doubt.

However, can a lower average IQ country industrialize? That has not happened yet in the world. Will it happen in our lifetime? I don't know.
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25 Countries With The Highest Average IQ | List 25 (January 31, 2018)

1. Hong Kong 107 (average IQ)
2. South Korea 106
3. Japan 105
4. Taiwan 104
5. Singapore 103
6. Austria 102
7. Germany 102
8. Italy 102
9. Netherlands 102
10. Sweden 101
11. Switzerland 101
12. Belgium 100
13. China 100
14. New Zealand 100
15. United Kingdom 100
16. Hungary 99
17. Poland 99
18. Spain 99
19. Australia 98
20. Denmark 98
21. France 98
22. Mongolia 98
23. Norway 98
24. United States 98
25. Canada 97

You do know that these IQs are not fixed in stone?

As a country gets more educated and richer, it's IQ tends to rise. See below:

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/race-iq-and-wealth/

" Meanwhile, a 1967 sample of East German children produced a score of just 90, while two later East German studies in 1978 and 1984 came in at 97–99, much closer to the West German numbers."

 

[Martian2]

You do know that these IQs are not fixed in stone?

As a country gets more educated and richer, it's IQ tends to rise. See below:

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/race-iq-and-wealth/

" Meanwhile, a 1967 sample of East German children produced a score of just 90, while two later East German studies in 1978 and 1984 came in at 97–99, much closer to the West German numbers."

Yes, I do know.

However, it is still relevant.

We are measuring the average IQ of a country at the SAME TIME.

If a country has a high average IQ and if the gap stays constant (compared to lower average IQ countries) then the high average IQ country has a massive advantage in developing the new industries of AI, AR, VR, self-driving vehicles, quantum computers, etc.
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The East German example is not typical.

West Germany paid for the "forced" industrialization of East Germany over decades. I will guess it cost about $1 trillion.

With the exception of South Korea and North Korea, no other country in the world will have the opportunity to become industrialized by a brethren.

 

[That Guy]

IQ is overblown. I have a friend who has an IQ of 116, so he's pretty smart. He's a mess, and doesn't know what to do with his life, and is stuck doing dead end jobs.

 

[UKBengali]

Yes, I do know.

However, it is still relevant.

We are measuring the average IQ of a country at the SAME TIME.

If a country has a high average IQ and if the gap stays constant (compared to lower average IQ countries) then the high average IQ country has a massive advantage in developing the new industries of AI, AR, VR, self-driving vehicles, quantum computers, etc.

OK. Fair enough.

Do you know when the last mass IQ sampling has been done as I expect the lower performers to have increased their scores substantially while the highly ranked countries are unlikely to have improved by much if at all?

 

[Martian2]

IQ is overblown. I have a friend who has an IQ of 116, so he's pretty smart. He's a mess, and doesn't know what to do with his life, and is stuck doing dead end jobs.

Your example is pointless.

We're talking about COUNTRIES.

A country has millions of people. If a few high IQ citizens are non-productive then it only means they are on the far right of the probability curve.

The bulk of the high IQ citizens are extremely productive in industry, government, and science.

 

[UKBengali]

IQ is overblown. I have a friend who has an IQ of 116, so he's pretty smart. He's a mess, and doesn't know what to do with his life, and is stuck doing dead end jobs.

116 is not a high IQ.

It is not just IQ that determines success in life: social skills, acceptance in society(immigrants) and effort also play an important part.

 

[Martian2]

OK. Fair enough.

Do you know when the last mass IQ sampling has been done as I expect the lower performers to have increased their scores substantially while the highly ranked countries are unlikely to have improved by much if at all?

No. The list of the 25 highest average IQ countries look like the same from 20 years ago.

116 is not a high IQ.

It is not just IQ that determines success in life: social skills, acceptance in society(immigrants) and effort also play an important part.

You can say whatever you want, but Bangladesh is not an industrialized country.

Making excuses does not help Bangladesh to industrialize.

I'm merely pointing out the correlation and suggesting that industrialization could be much more difficult for lower average IQ countries.

The correlation between IQ and industrialization looks VERY STRONG. At this time, there are no exceptions to this rule.

Ten years from now, if the correlation holds then the case for HIGH IQ and INDUSTRIALIZATION will grow even stronger.

 

[UKBengali]

No. The list of the 25 highest average IQ countries look like the same from 20 years ago.

Exactly my point.

I am not saying that there are no differences in IQ between races but these lists do not give a fair comparison between countries.

 

[Azadkashmir]

where is russia ? turkey? they are quite industrialized.

 

[Martian2]

where is russia ? turkey? they are quite industrialized.

Russia never made into the information age. Russia can't produce information technology products or computer chips.

When did Turkey become industrialized? Turkey can't build anything technologically sophisticated.

 

[UKBengali]

You can say whatever you want, but Bangladesh is not an industrialized country.

Making excuses does not help Bangladesh to industrialize.

I'm merely pointing out the correlation and suggesting that industrialization could be much more difficult for lower average IQ countries.

I am not making excuses for BD lol.
My response was to the other poster who commented on his friend, and pointing out that for individuals IQ is not the only thing that matters for success in life.

You know that back in 1990, China was not much richer than BD. China's supposed high IQ has not always helped them. A country's current level of development is not always a gauge of it's general IQ.

 

[Martian2]

I am not making excuses for BD lol.
My response was to the other poster who commented on his friend, and pointing out that for individuals IQ is not the only thing that matters for success in life.

You know that back in 1990, China was not much richer than BD. China's supposed high IQ has not always helped them. A country's current level of development is not always a gauge of it's general IQ.

You are making a logical error.

I never said a high average IQ was sufficient for industrialization.

I'm suggesting high aveage IQ is a pre-requisite for industrialization.

Having a high average IQ and a BAD POLITICAL SYSTEM (like China in the past) can hinder industrialization.

Having a low average IQ and all other pre-requisites (such as a stable political system and functioning economy) can still lead to non-industrialization.

 

[UKBengali]

The correlation between IQ and industrialization looks VERY STRONG. At this time, there are no exceptions to this rule.

According to the figures Turkey has an IQ of only 90.
Why is it more developed than China and growing very fast that within 10 years it will
have caught up with supposed higher IQ countries like Italy?

 

[Martian2]

According to the figures Turkey has an IQ of only 90.
Why is it more developed than China and growing very fast that within 10 years it will
have caught up with supposed higher IQ countries like Italy?

Turkey is not more developed than China. Can Turkey build bullet trains, nuclear reactors, space-ships, and supercomputers? China does.

China has a non-market-determined currency. The "nominal" GDP for China doesn't mean a thing. It is whatever the Chinese government decides is an appropriate exchange rate to help its small and medium-size exporters.