ENTRE News – A number of countries have residents with intellectual quotient (IQ) exceeding the average of society in general. A person’s intelligence is usually influenced by a number of factors including upbringing, education, accessibility, environment, and experiences. Actually, there is no definite answer about which country has the most intelligent population in the world. However, population and intelligence experts continue to devise methods and approaches to compile toward a realistic ranking of the smartest states in the country.
One of the most famous studies on world intelligence was compiled by British psychologist Richard Lynn “The Intelligence of Nations” in 2019. This study measured the average IQ of citizens in 132 countries and calculated estimated scores for 71 other countries. IQ is actually only one measure of cognitive ability and does not cover all aspects of human intelligence. The following is a list of countries with the smartest people in the world based on average IQ:
Belarus
According to the world population review report, Belarus is included in the list of 1 of the smartest countries. The average IQ of Belarusians is 101.60. Belarus also has a high literacy rate at 99.7 percent. In recent years, around 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been spent on education, almost the same amount as in developed countries in Europe.
South Korea
South Korea is also included as one of the countries with the smartest population. The average IQ of South Korean citizens is 102.35. South Korea has a 6-3-3-4 education program, https://jdih.kasn.go.id/js/snaga/ namely six years for elementary school, three years for middle school, three years for high school and four years for university study.
The South Korean government has a special focus on education. The Ministry of Education provided a budget of US$29 billion, six times the amount in 1990. The budget was equivalent to about 20 percent of central government spending. Koreans are also willing to spend their money on education, as quoted by the Asia Society.
China
Chinese citizens have an average IQ of 10.1. A number of regions in China such as Taiwan and Hong Kong also have relatively high IQs. Hong Kong with 105.37 and Taiwan 106.47. China has a nine-year compulsory education program consisting of six years of primary school and three years of secondary school. The Chinese government is also trying to equalize education and asks schools and students not only to focus on test scores but also on quality.
Singapore
Singapore is known for having a good quality and educational environment. The average intellectual quotient of the citizens of this country is recorded at 105.89. In 2022, Singapore is budgeting 13.28 percent of its BDP for education.
Japan
Japan is the country that occupies the top position with the smartest society in the world. Japan has a strict education system, serious investment in research and development, and efficient policies in the world of education and technology. Citizens of Sakura Country have an average IQ of 106.48.