Ranking of High I.Q. Countries - old reports

© Paul Cooijmans

National median protonorms and I.Q.'s - 24 March 2021

Per country, the median of scores (expressed in protonorms) across a large number of high-range I.Q. tests is computed. Countries are ranked by median protonorm, and then by number of scores (n).

RankCountry n med. prot.I.Q. (σ = 15)
1Latvia11646.0174
2Croatia9510.0155
3Cambodia6500.0154
4Romania17483.0152
5Slovenia9453.0147
6Hungary13448.0147
7Belgium122447.0146
8Serbia11442.0145
9Russia7439.0145
10Lebanon18438.0145
11Spain150436.0144
12Portugal52435.0144
13Denmark34433.0143
14Bulgaria23433.0143
15Austria32430.0143
16Argentina9430.0143
17Czech_Republic10428.5143
18Malta41428.0143
19Micronesia2427.5142
20France101427.0142
21United_Kingdom222427.0142
22Germany249425.0142
23Canada196424.0142
24Poland46422.5141
25Nigeria15420.0141
26Ireland15419.0141
27India72414.0140
28China53414.0140
29Switzerland23413.0140
30Luxembourg5412.0139
31Sweden227409.0139
32Australia85405.0138
33Finland217395.0137
34Malaysia5395.0137
35Norway61394.0137
36Israel19394.0137
37Iran12394.0137
38Brazil31393.0136
39Yugoslavia3393.0136
40United_States1321392.0136
41Thailand12391.5136
42Italy98387.5135
43Mexico14387.0135
44Netherlands319385.0135
45Korea_South105379.0134
46Turkey68377.0134
47Greece177376.0134
48South_Africa53376.0134
49Japan36375.0134
50Bosnia_and_Herzegovina9375.0134
51Hong_Kong17374.0133
52Iceland8371.0133
53New_Zealand16368.5132
54Cyprus14368.0132
55Philippines32365.5132
56Slovakia21359.0131
57Kyrgyzstan4359.0131
58Cuba2358.5131
59Chile3329.0126
60Tunisia3323.0125
61Singapore18304.0123
62Lithuania42280.0119
63Dominican_Republic11153.0102

N = 4636 (only countries with at least 2 scores are included)

Tests used

  1. Test of the Beheaded Man
  2. Cartoons of Shock
  3. Cooijmans Intelligence Test - Form 3
  4. Qoymans Multiple-Choice #5
  5. A Paranoiac's Torture: Intelligence Test Utilizing Diabolic Exactitude
  6. Daedalus Test
  7. De Laatste Test
  8. The Final Test
  9. Female Intelligence Test
  10. GliaWeb Raadselachtige Associatie- en Analogieëntest
  11. Genius Association Test
  12. Isis Test
  13. Cooijmans On-Line Test - Two-barrelled version
  14. Laaglandse Aanlegtest - Herziening 2016
  15. Low Countries Aptitude Test
  16. Letters
  17. Lieshout International Mesospheric Intelligence Test
  18. De Golfstroomtest
  19. The Nemesis Test
  20. Numerical section of Test For Genius - Revision 2010
  21. De Golfstroomtest - Herziening 2019
  22. Psychometric Qrosswords
  23. Gliaweb Raadselachtig Analogieënproefwerk
  24. Gliaweb Riddled Intelligence Test - Revision 2011
  25. Reason - Revision 2008
  26. The Sargasso Test
  27. Verbal section of Test For Genius - Revision 2004
  28. Spatial section of Test For Genius - Revision 2004
  29. The Test To End All Tests
  30. Words
  31. Verbal section of The Marathon Test
  32. Numerical section of The Marathon Test
  33. Spatial section of The Marathon Test
  34. Problems In Gentle Slopes of the first degree
  35. De Roskam
  36. Intelligence Quantifier by assessment
  37. Reflections In Peroxide
  38. Problems In Gentle Slopes of the third degree
  39. Combined Numerical and Spatial sections of Test For Genius - Revision 2010
  40. Reason Behind Multiple-Choice - Revision 2008
  41. The LAW - Letters And Words
  42. The Marathon Test
  43. Test For Genius - Revision 2010
  44. Associative LIMIT
  45. Numerical and spatial sections of The Marathon Test
  46. Labyrinthine LIMIT
  47. Psychometrically Activated Grids Acerbate Neuroticism
  48. Narcissus' last stand
  49. The Hammer Of Test-Hungry
  50. Qoymans Automatic Test #2
  51. Qoymans Multiple-Choice #1
  52. Qoymans Multiple-Choice #2
  53. Qoymans Multiple-Choice #3
  54. Test of Shock and Awe
  55. Spatial Insight Test
  56. Short Test For Genius
  57. Space, Time, and Hyperspace
  58. Verbal Insight Test
  59. Association and Analogies (German)
  60. Association and Analogies (French)
  61. A-10 - Early experimental association test in Netherlandic
  62. Reason Behind Multiple-Choice
  63. Long Test For Genius
  64. Long Test For Genius (French)
  65. Long Test For Genius (Netherlandic)
  66. Test For Genius - Revision 2004
  67. A-18 - Early experimental association test in Netherlandic
  68. Numbers
  69. Odds
  70. A-22 - Early experimental association test in Netherlandic, 27 items (maximum score 31)
  71. Numerical Insight Test
  72. Qoymans Automatic Test #1
  73. Qoymans Automatic Test #3
  74. Cooijmans On-Line Test
  75. Analogies of Long Test For Genius
  76. Analogies subtest of Long Test For Genius (Netherlandic)
  77. Analogies #1
  78. Analogies #1 (Netherlandic)
  79. Association subtest of Long Test For Genius
  80. Qoymans Multiple-Choice #4
  81. Association subtest of Long Test For Genius (Netherlandic)
  82. Reason
  83. KIT Intelligence Test - first attempts
  84. Bonsai Test
  85. Cooijmans Intelligence Test - Form 1
  86. Evens
  87. Cooijmans Intelligence Test - Form 2
  88. Giga Test
  89. Grail Test
  90. Analogies subtest of Long Test For Genius (French)
  91. Association subtest of Long Test For Genius (French)
  92. Problems In Gentle Slopes of the second degree
  93. The Final Test - Revision 2013
  94. Space, Time, and Hyperspace - Revision 2016
  95. Cooijmans Intelligence Test - Form 4
  96. The Alchemist Test
  97. Verbal section of Test For Genius - Revision 2016
  98. The Bonsai Test - Revision 2016
  99. Cooijmans Intelligence Test 5
  100. Test For Genius - Revision 2016
  101. Combined Numerical and Spatial sections of Test For Genius - Revision 2016
  102. The Piper's Test
  103. Dicing with death
  104. De Laatste Test - Herziening 2019
  105. Gliaweb Riddled Intelligence Test (old version)
  106. The Hammer Of Test-Hungry - Revision 2013
  107. Divine Psychometry

National median protonorms and I.Q.'s - 29 March 2018

Per country, the median of scores (expressed in protonorms) across a large number of high-range I.Q. tests is computed. Countries are ranked by median protonorm, and then by number of scores (n).

RankCountry n med. prot.I.Q. (σ = 15)
1Croatia5582.0165
2Latvia5530.0158
3Cambodia6500.0154
4Slovenia8476.5151
5Belgium108453.0147
6Serbia10442.0145
7Lebanon15440.0145
8Portugal48437.5145
9Austria24436.0144
10Denmark32433.5144
11United_Kingdom186433.0143
12Norway47433.0143
13Poland43433.0143
14Switzerland21433.0143
15Russia7433.0143
16Germany214431.5143
17France98431.0143
18Malta40429.0143
19Bulgaria15428.0143
20Argentina9425.0142
21Canada164424.5142
22Ireland15420.0141
23Spain126416.0140
24Sweden184413.0140
25Brazil21413.0140
26Mexico11413.0140
27Iran5413.0140
28Micronesia2412.5140
29Australia79412.0139
30Luxembourg5412.0139
31Czech_Republic7409.0139
32Romania3409.0139
33China39407.0139
34Cyprus10406.5139
35Malaysia4401.0138
36India58399.5137
37Finland194397.0137
38Korea_South41395.0137
39Israel19394.0137
40Netherlands343393.0136
41Yugoslavia3393.0136
42Iceland3392.0136
43United_States996390.0136
44Thailand12389.0136
45Italy77388.0136
46Japan32376.5134
47Greece164375.5134
48Hong_Kong17374.0133
49Slovakia3372.0133
50Bosnia_and_Herzegovina8369.5133
51New_Zealand15369.0133
52Turkey43365.0132
53South_Africa42365.0132
54Philippines21361.0131
55Cuba2345.5129
56Tunisia3331.0127
57Chile3329.0126
58Singapore19320.0125
59Lithuania37275.0119
60Dominican_Republic11153.0102

Total n = 3782 (only countries with at least 2 scores are included)

Tests used

I.Q. Test Scores by Country - March 2013

National median protonorms and I.Q.'s

Per country, the median of scores (expressed in protonorms) across a large number of high-range I.Q. tests is computed. Countries are ranked by median protonorm, and then by number of scores (n).

RankCountry n med. prot.I.Q. (σ = 15)
1China3537.0158
2Cambodia6500.0154
3Slovenia3500.0154
4Korea_South4484.0152
5Belgium81453.0147
6Spain52453.0147
7Poland26453.0147
8Malta21453.0147
9Serbia8453.0147
10Canada86447.5147
11Austria6446.5146
12Cyprus4443.5146
13Denmark21443.0146
14Germany100440.0145
15Portugal31440.0145
16United_Kingdom107433.0143
17Switzerland13433.0143
18Lebanon8433.0143
19Russia3430.0143
20Norway31428.0143
21Bulgaria8424.0142
22Micronesia2422.5141
23Australia41420.0141
24Finland134419.5141
25Iran3418.0141
26Sweden111413.0140
27Brazil15413.0140
28Ireland5413.0140
29France61412.0139
30Luxembourg3412.0139
31Mexico6403.5138
32Czech_Republic4402.5138
33Malaysia2402.0138
34United_States575397.0137
35Hong_Kong13393.0136
36Italy35393.0136
37Thailand7393.0136
38Yugoslavia3393.0136
39Iceland3392.0136
40Israel11387.0135
41New_Zealand9383.0134
42Greece90380.0134
43India27380.0134
44Bosnia_and_Herzegovina7375.0133
45Philippines14370.0132
46Netherlands221368.0131
47Japan12367.0131
48Argentina3367.0131
49Turkey34361.0130
50South_Africa19360.0130
51Lithuania5340.0127
52Chile2336.0126
53Singapore13300.0121

Total n = 2112 (only countries with at least 2 scores are included)

Most of the country names hyper-refer to images of those countries' stamps; these are scans of stamps actually received in correspondence with test candidates from the countries in question, in many cases in the period before Internet and e-mail become dominant.

Tests used

Ranking by protonorms - October 2008

This table ranks the countries of origin of 1318 scores on high-range intelligence tests designed and scored by Paul Cooijmans. Countries are ranked first by weighted median protonorm and then by number of scores from that country. The I.Q.s in the table are based on the current (2008) norming of protonorms to I.Q. Countries with two or more scores are included in their own right, and countries with only one score are included in "Remaining countries".

The tests used are mentioned under the table; For each test, the median protonorm scores per country were determined, after which for each country the weighted median across the tests was calculated.

Rank Country Protonorm I.Q. # scores
1 Cambodia 500 157 6
2 Korea, South 497 156 2
3 New Zealand 491 156 2
4 Slovenia 487 155 3
5 Denmark 480 153 10
6 Serbia and Montenegro 473 152 5
7 Canada 459 150 45
8 Germany 453 149 46
9 Iran 452 149 2
10 Malta 450 148 12
11 Belgium 447 147 45
12 Poland 442 147 14
13 Portugal 440 146 16
14 Switzerland 440 146 7
15 Israel 433 145 9
16 Austria 432 145 3
17 United Kingdom 430 144 73
18 France 424 143 44
19 Australia 423 143 23
20 Remaining countries 414 142 9
21 Spain 413 141 28
22 Norway 413 141 26
23 Brazil 413 141 14
24 Finland 412 140 76
25 Sweden 412 140 73
26 Luxembourg 412 140 3
27 Greece 409 140 29
28 Netherlands 403 139 96
29 United States 395 139 328
30 Mexico 394 139 3
31 Yugoslavia 393 138 3
32 Bosnia and Herzegovina 392 137 5
33 Hong Kong 389 137 6
34 Thailand 389 137 4
35 Italy 384 135 17
36 Cyprus 380 134 3
37 Japan 374 134 5
38 Argentina 367 132 3
39 Turkey 359 130 23
40 Lithuania 335 128 2
41 South Africa 333 128 5
42 India 308 124 6
43 Singapore 287 121 11

The "Remaining countries" are: Chile, China, Cuba, Hungary, Iceland, Malaysia, Philippines, Romania and Russia. Yugoslavia has meanwhile fallen apart, but in the absence of other information on the origin of those candidates the old name is used in this report.

The tests used are: Cartoons of Shock, Cooijmans Intelligence Test Forms 1 and 2, De Laatste Test, The Final Test, Genius Association Test, Isis Test, Low Countries Aptitude Test, Lieshout International Mesospheric Intelligence Test, The Nemesis Test, Numbers, Odds, Test For Genius (Long, Short, French, Netherlandic and Revision 2004), The Test To End All Tests, The Sargasso Test, Test of Shock and Awe, Spatial Insight Test, Space, Time and Hyperspace, Bonsai Test, Numerical Insight Test, Reason, and Qoymans Multiple-Choice #4.

The correlation of the ranks in this table with the countries' national average I.Q.s published by Lynn and Vanhanen in "I.Q. and the Wealth of Nations" is -.227 (which is significant if the number of used scores is considered). Since it concerns ranks, this must be understood as +.227 in terms of actual correlation of test scores. This is typical for the correlation with national I.Q.s found in the statistical reports for the individual tests.

Ranking by mean I.Q. - April 2006

This report gives the weighted average IQs of a number of countries over a number of normed tests, to wit the QMC (all versions), Test of Shock and Awe, Spatial Insight Test, Test For Genius (all versions), Space, Time and Hyperspace, Bonsai Test, CIT (Forms 1 and 2), Final Test, Cartoons of Shock, COLT, Laatste Test, GAT, KIT, LIMIT, Nemesis Test, Numbers, Odds, Psychometric Qrosswords, Reason and The Test To End All Tests.

For each test the mean I.Q.s were used of countries with at least two testees. The below table contains the countries that showed up with an average on at least two tests, ranked first by I.Q. and then by number of scores from that country. Countries thus excluded from this table include Switzerland, Hong Kong, Slovenia, Argentina, Singapore, Iran and China (there may be more that didn't show up at all). Those countries may appear in the table in a later analysis.

RankCountryMean I.Q. (SD=15)# scores
1Poland148.58
2Germany147.634
3United Kingdom145.561
4Malta145.54
5Denmark1454
6Belgium144.826
7Finland144.663
8Spain144.34
9Brazil144.210
10Australia144.118
11Canada143.933
12Turkey143.36
13France142.727
14Sweden141.573
15Norway141.311
16Greece139.417
17United States139.2331
18Israel1384
19The Netherlands137.591
20Italy136.615
21Japan136.36
22.5Bosnia and Herzegovina1354
22.5South Africa1354
24India127.54

The correlation with the national average I.Q.s published by Lynn and Vanhanen is .45, which is significant beyond the level of .05. This is a low correlation, but for the first time a significant positive one; The correlations found in individual tests, which I report routinely, are usually around zero and/or not significant. So it may be that if you combine many tests and scores and thus catch in a wide range of countries, you do eventually find a significant positive correlation with national average I.Q.s.

Ranking by points - 2004

This report focuses on the performance by country over seven tests that received substantial numbers of submissions: LTFG, CIT, Final Test, QMC #3, Numbers, Short TFG and STH. Combined it concerns 754 test submissions.

For each test a ranking is made by average score by country (only countries with at least two testees are listed). The top nine countries on each test get points descending from 9 to 1. These points are summed over the seven tests. The following table results:

Rank Country Points
1 Finland 45
2 United Kingdom 34
3 Canada 32
4 Belgium 31
5 United States 25
6 Australia 21
7 Germany 20
8 Greece 14
9.5 Sweden 13
9.5 Netherlands 13
11 Norway 11
12.5 France 9
12.5 Denmark 9
14 Poland 8
15 Brazil 7
16 Slovenia 6
17.5 Italy 4
17.5 Malta 4
19 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2
20 Turkey 1

For further information I computed the correlation between the points totals per country and the average national I.Q.s published by Lynnn and Vanhanen as .3 (not significant). The correlation between actual scores on the seven tests and national I.Q.s is .069 over 536 pairs (almost significant). So on the whole there appears to be no or very little correlation between performance on high-range tests and national average I.Q.s. This may be because of the restriction of range you get with high-range tests (only those who are quite intelligent to begin with take them, leaving less room for correlation); also, it may be that countries not only differ in average I.Q., but also in spread of I.Q..