It includes migration as an important external channel for countries to acquire and develop human capital. To determine the smartest countries in the world, we have considered the patents granted to each country. This information was obtained from the World Intellectual Property Organization. Our rankings were based on the total number of patents issued in 2021 as that indicates successful patents, which in turn reflect on the smartness of the country and its people. Secondly, we considered the growth rate in successful patents as compared to the previous year, as that indicates an increase in the level of smartness of a country. Countries with a bigger population will always have higher absolute numbers in terms of basically any metric, and number of patents per million makes this a more level playing field.

There are many opinions on which are the smartest countries in the world, and sometimes the rankings are based on unreliable presumptions. For example, there is a widespread belief that the dumbest country in the world is America. As for the most intelligent race in the world – the title goes to Asian people. However, there is a small number of studies regarding IQ by country or race. One of them is about race differences in IQ, and although it’s very interesting, for our list, we needed the more extensive study. Nevertheless, many out there are definitely interested to know more about average IQ by race.

Russia

Some of the best-known and more widely publicized studies of world intelligence are conducted by British psychologist Richard Lynn. In a 2019 study titled The Intelligence of Nations, Lynn and collaborator David Becker measured the average IQ of citizens across 132 nations and calculated estimated scores for another 71. The top of the list looks as follows (scroll to the table at the bottom of the page for the rest). Of course, a country must also raise its creativity quotient (an important fertiliser being diversity) and remain open to foreign talent.

A person isn’t less intelligent because of a lower level of education. Instead, the one who can achieve the same education with less effort is classified as more intelligent. For example, some intelligence tests detail questions on the names of current politicians. This determines how well the patient can remember a name and its position only by the influence of the media presence. South Africa is the smartest country in Africa, and also the most technologically advanced in the continent.

Different Ways Of Life In Smart Countries

Further, we all have the opportunity to get smarter and happier if we want. We just need to read, listen, and learn more from people who are smarter than us. Then we need to take action and constantly learn from our mistakes. For example, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, Norway, Netherlands, and Finland are also some of the top 20 richest countries. Therefore, you might try to live in one of these countries for a better life.

Creativity should be part and parcel of any measure of human capital. Rote learning and memorisation are fast losing value in an era increasingly relying on computers and robots. Indeed, creativity is what separates humans from robots – it is the key that unlocks the power of education. For the purpose of the ICI, creativity is assessed using the Global Creativity Index and R&D expenditures as a share of GDP. Indeed, it is the only country that gets an overall A+ on the ICI.

Hong Kong

However, I’m not fond of cold weather for four months of the year. Therefore, it’s a hard pass for me living in one of the Northern European countries for the long term. Therefore, if the World Happiness Report were to use Family Cohesiveness as a happiness variable, Asian countries would likely shoot to the top. That said, having strong family relationships is a huge part of Asian culture. Grandparents also being able to see and take care of their grandchildren, sometimes all under one roof, is also a positive.

If you are an employer, the ICI can be used as a tool in guiding where to look for or where to base talent/staff that will give your company the cutting-edge ideas you need to succeed in the knowledge economy. The score and letter grade are computed based on the countries’ global ranks for each of the ICI’s underlying four aspects. We expected Japan to be higher on this list as it is considered to be among the most technologically advanced countries in the world.

The Link between Education and Intelligence

Last but not least, the attractiveness and openness to foreign talent aspect is key to a country’s stock of “smarts”. Cities such as New York, London, Paris and Singapore are magnets for bright and ambitious people. Even in the absence of a good pipeline of domestic talent, these cities, and thus their respective countries, create fertile conditions for boundary-pushing knowledge and innovation. Brin’s story illustrates how – given the proper environment – education and creativity can give rise to transformative innovation in the global knowledge economy.

Moreover, creativity is probably held back from what it could be in these countries because of cultural and other factors. It considers education outcomes both in terms of quantity and quality, while emphasizing quality. It measures cognitive skills at different stages of the human life cycle, again with an emphasis on top (elite) performance.

Smartest Countries 2023

We can never truly know about other cultures unless we speak their languages and live in their countries for years. Since 2002, the World Happiness Report has used statistical analysis to determine the world’s happiest countries. No measure is perfect, and the next iteration of the index might look at cities rather than countries. It should also try to correct the defects posed by heterogeneity of the data.

Other high-ranking nations included Korea (106 IQ), the United Kingdom (100 IQ), the United States (98 IQ), Australia (98 IQ), and Finland (99 IQ). While it is often said that talent can be based anywhere these days thanks to modern telecommunications, location still deeply matters – in fact, its importance has actually increased. In general, a hot climate is considered a disadvantage intelligence development. Nowadays, the reason is primarily seen in the high physical energy demand and the resulting stress. Intelligence is not a learning ability but can be consciously increased. Through regular brain training, individual skills are specifically addressed and achieved through a performance increase.

However, the PISA only provides a partial picture of a country’s intelligence, as it does not account for other factors such as innovation, creativity, or social intelligence. This chart might be the best way to gain some bragging rights over your international friends. Either way, we’ve all wondered what the smartest country in the world is, and now science has the answer.

• In fact, I argued in a WEF piece that although the US is home to the most Nobel Prize winners, elite universities, etc., its delivery of education is weak for the general population.
• This is why it has one of the highest growth rates in patents issued in 2021.
• The educational expenses are no less than elsewhere but are not caused or paid for by any government.
• For example, there is a widespread belief that the dumbest country in the world is America.

Its dominant position is a result of its exceptional performance in terms of quality of education (at the elite level). It is home to a majority of the world’s leading institutions of higher learning and has earned an outsized number of Nobel prizes and Fields medals. smartest country in the world india rank On the other hand, countries with high education expenditures almost always have an intelligent population. The reversing circuit is not always accurate because, among the first 30 places, there are also countries with medium-to-low educational expenditures.

Fortunately, we have found the IQ esearch+ conducted by Richard Lynn, a British Professor of Psychology, and Tatu Vanhanen, a Finnish Professor of Political Science. They measured IQ in more than 80 countries from the year 2002 up to 2006. For example, they measured the average IQ of India that is 82 what puts this country in 25th place (in their rankings). The main purpose of their research was to see if differences in national income are correlated with differences in the average national intelligence quotient (IQ). Measuring a country’s intelligence is a complex task, and traditional measures such as calculating a population’s IQ can be insufficient.

There’s simply less insecurity and jealousy when you have more money. Meanwhile, the least happy country in the world for 2021 was Afghanistan, whose 149th-place ranking of 2.523 can be attributed in part to a low life expectancy rate and low gross domestic product rates per capita. After the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021, I suspect the country’s overall happiness ticked down even further. Maybe having a high average IQ is one of the reasons why Asians have the highest income in America.