Most recent large-scale IQ-by-country datasets put China at the top, with an average IQ score around 107 on standardized non-verbal tests such as Raven’s Progressive Matrices.

Quick Scoop

  • Several recent rankings using global online IQ tests and non-verbal matrices list China as the country with the highest average IQ (≈107) , followed closely by South Korea and Japan.
  • Another 2025 ranking of “smartest countries” that combines IQ-related data and education indicators instead puts Japan first but still shows East Asian countries clustered at the top.
  • Experts and sociologists warn that national IQ tables are controversial, culturally biased, and often methodologically weak , so they should not be treated as precise measures of how “smart” a country is.

What the latest rankings say

  • A 2024–2025 global non‑verbal IQ test project (often cited in news and education sites) reports China at 107.19, South Korea at 106.43, and Japan at 106.40 , forming the top three countries by average IQ.
  • Popular explainer pieces and education portals repeat this same dataset, presenting China as “top of the list of smartest countries in the world.”
  • A business-intelligence style ranking for 2025 lists Japan (≈106.5) as number one , followed by Taiwan and Singapore, while still showing China and South Korea among the highest averages.

Why there is no single “true” answer

  • Different rankings mix different data sources (online IQ tests, older psychometric studies, education outcomes, innovation metrics), which naturally leads to conflicting “number one” countries.
  • Sociologists and critics point out that many IQ‑by‑country datasets rely on patchy, sometimes invented or imputed numbers , and carry cultural, linguistic, educational, and socioeconomic biases.
  • Because of these issues, many researchers argue that national IQ tables say more about testing conditions and inequality than about any population’s inherent intelligence.

Mini FAQ style notes

  • So, which country has the highest IQ?
    On the narrow metric of recent large global IQ tests, China is most often listed as number one , with East Asian countries dominating the top 10.
  • Is this the final word?
    No. Rankings differ by method, and the entire idea of “average national IQ” is widely debated and criticized in academic and forum discussions.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.