IQ scores are often used as a quick way to measure intelligence, but there’s a lot more behind the numbers than meets the eye. When we talk about countries with the lowest average IQ scores, it’s important to remember that these figures don’t define the worth, potential, or abilities of individuals. Instead, they reflect a mix of factors like access to education, healthcare, nutrition, and testing environments. These are things that can vary drastically from one region to another.
In this article, we’re taking a closer look at the ten countries that currently have the lowest recorded IQ scores. But rather than just listing numbers, we’ll explore the deeper context like what influences these scores, why they matter, and why they shouldn’t be taken at face value.
Countries with the lowest average iq: A closer look
Equatorial Guinea – Average IQ: 59
With an average IQ score of 59, Equatorial Guinea is often cited as having the lowest recorded national average globally. But that figure doesn’t tell the full story. Located on the west coast of Central Africa, the country has a small population and considerable natural oil wealth. Despite this, widespread poverty and inequality persist, especially outside urban areas.
One major factor behind the low IQ score is limited access to quality education. While primary education is technically free and compulsory, schools are often underfunded, and teacher training is inconsistent. Rural areas face additional challenges, including language barriers. Many communities speak local dialects that aren’t used in formal education or standardized testing.
Nutrition also plays a critical role. Cognitive development is closely tied to early childhood nutrition, and many children in Equatorial Guinea face food insecurity and limited access to clean water. Healthcare services are stretched thin, particularly in remote regions, which further affects early development and learning potential.
Cultural context matters too. IQ tests are typically standardized in Western countries and may not account for local learning styles, values, or experiences. This can lead to results that don’t accurately reflect a person’s reasoning ability or problem-solving skills within their own environment.
So while Equatorial Guinea ranks low by the numbers, it’s a reflection of structural and historical challenges, not a measure of the country’s intellectual capacity or potential. Understanding the broader context is key to interpreting scores like these fairly and compassionately.
Angola – Average IQ: 68
Angola, a country rich in natural resources and recovering from a decades-long civil war, has an average IQ score of around 68. While this number may appear low on a global scale, it should be seen in the context of the country’s complex history and ongoing development challenges.
The civil war, which lasted from 1975 to 2002, left Angola with major infrastructural damage, disrupted education systems, and a generation of children who missed out on formal schooling. Although progress has been made in rebuilding, access to consistent, high-quality education remains uneven, especially in rural areas where schools often lack trained teachers and adequate materials.
Healthcare access is another major issue. Many children experience developmental delays linked to poor nutrition, diseases like malaria, and limited prenatal care. These health challenges directly impact cognitive development, which in turn affects performance on IQ tests.
Language diversity also plays a role. Portuguese is the official language, but many Angolans grow up speaking local dialects. This language gap can create barriers in standardized testing, particularly when tests aren’t adapted to fit local linguistic or cultural contexts.
Despite the numbers, Angola is home to a young, resilient population with immense potential. IQ scores alone can’t capture that complexity or the strides the country continues to make toward long-term development and stability.
Mozambique – average iq: 68
Mozambique, another Southern African nation with an average IQ score of 68, faces challenges that mirror those of other post-colonial, low-income countries. Decades of conflict, both from its war for independence and a prolonged civil war, have had lasting effects on the nation’s development.
Access to education is limited, especially in rural regions. Many schools lack basic facilities like electricity, books, and trained teachers. Children often travel long distances to reach school, only to find overcrowded classrooms or inconsistent instruction. While the government has made efforts to expand primary education, quality remains a key concern.
Nutrition is another critical factor. According to UNICEF, nearly half of all children under five in Mozambique suffer from chronic malnutrition, which can impair brain development and long-term cognitive function. This sets children back long before they ever step into a classroom or take a test.
Testing environments also matter. IQ tests are rarely adapted to local contexts in Mozambique, meaning that questions often assume cultural knowledge or educational experiences that many test-takers simply haven’t had. This puts them at a disadvantage and skews results downward.
Mozambique’s low average IQ doesn’t reflect a lack of intelligence, it points to structural issues that hold people back from reaching their full potential. With improvements in healthcare, nutrition, and education, the outlook could shift dramatically in the years ahead.
Sierra Leone – Average IQ: 69
Sierra Leone has an average IQ of 69. That figure, while stark, doesn’t begin to explain the realities on the ground. The country has endured a series of national traumas, most notably, a brutal civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002, followed by the devastating Ebola outbreak in 2014. Both events took a heavy toll on infrastructure, education, and public health.
In many parts of Sierra Leone, access to formal education remains limited. Schools are under-resourced, particularly in rural areas. Some children never enroll at all. Others drop out early to support their families. These factors have long-term consequences on literacy, numeracy, and general cognitive development.
Another concern is nutrition. Many children face chronic food insecurity, and undernourishment during early childhood can stunt both physical and mental growth. Combine this with limited access to healthcare and it’s easy to see how development gets disrupted from the very beginning.
- Guatemala – Average IQ: 70
IQ scores in such settings are not just a reflection of individual ability; they’re shaped by context. The tests don’t account for survival-based intelligence, adaptability, or social skills, all of which are strong among Sierra Leoneans. So while the score is low, it only tells part of the story.
With an average IQ score of 70, Guatemala stands out as the lowest-ranking country in Latin America. But once again, context is everything. This Central American nation is marked by extreme wealth inequality, with Indigenous communities often bearing the brunt of systemic neglect.
Many children in rural Guatemala grow up speaking Mayan languages. However, formal education is almost exclusively in Spanish. This language gap puts them at an immediate disadvantage in school and, later, in standardized tests that assume Spanish fluency and Western-based logic.
Access to education is improving, but challenges remain. Public schools are often overcrowded, and dropout rates are high, especially among Indigenous girls. Child labor is also widespread, particularly in agriculture, pulling kids away from classrooms and into fields at a young age.
Nutrition is another pressing issue. According to the World Bank, nearly 47% of Guatemalan children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition. That kind of widespread undernourishment has a direct, proven impact on cognitive development.
It’s also worth noting that IQ tests may not translate well culturally. For communities rooted in oral tradition, hands-on learning, and communal problem-solving, standardized IQ measures can feel alien and irrelevant. That’s why Guatemala’s low average IQ isn’t a fair reflection of its people, it’s a reflection of deeply rooted inequalities that deserve attention.
- Haiti – Average IQ: 71
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has an average IQ of 71. This figure is influenced by numerous factors, most notably a history of political instability, natural disasters, and systemic poverty. The country has faced devastating earthquakes, hurricanes, and ongoing challenges in infrastructure and public health, which all have long-lasting effects on the population.
Education is a major concern in Haiti. While primary education is technically free, many families can’t afford the extra costs, such as uniforms, books, or transportation. As a result, large portions of the population either never attend school or only receive a limited education. In rural areas, the situation is even more dire, with many children having no access to formal schooling at all.
Poor nutrition is another significant issue. Chronic malnutrition affects a large portion of Haiti’s population, leading to stunted growth and developmental delays in children. The lack of consistent access to medical care further exacerbates these problems, leaving many without the resources needed to thrive physically or cognitively.
Like many other countries on this list, Haiti’s low average IQ is not a reflection of the people’s inherent intelligence. It speaks to the challenges the nation faces in terms of education, healthcare, and social inequality. With the right investments in education and infrastructure, the potential for change is significant.
- Zimbabwe – Average IQ: 72
Zimbabwe’s average IQ of 72 reflects the nation’s complex history and economic struggles. Once regarded as the breadbasket of Africa, the country has faced severe economic decline, political unrest, and hyperinflation over the past few decades. These factors have had a profound impact on the quality of life for many Zimbabweans, particularly in rural areas.
Education in Zimbabwe is relatively accessible, but it’s often underfunded. Despite a higher-than-average literacy rate for sub-Saharan Africa, schools frequently suffer from overcrowding, lack of resources, and a shortage of qualified teachers. Many students drop out early due to financial constraints or to support their families.
Healthcare also plays a role in cognitive development. Zimbabwe has battled a high prevalence of diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS, which directly affect the health and well-being of children. Malnutrition is widespread, contributing to developmental delays in young children, which can impact their performance in school and on IQ tests.
Additionally, IQ tests may not accurately reflect the type of intelligence required in Zimbabwe’s unique cultural and social landscape. In a country that values resourcefulness, resilience, and community-oriented problem-solving, traditional IQ measures may miss a lot of the skills that truly matter.
- Yemen – Average IQ: 72
Yemen’s average IQ of 72 reflects the harsh realities faced by its people, particularly in the context of prolonged conflict, poverty, and underdevelopment. Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, which has severely disrupted the nation’s infrastructure, economy, and access to essential services like healthcare and education.
Education in Yemen is limited, with many schools destroyed or repurposed for military use. Even before the war, the country faced a significant education crisis, with high dropout rates and a lack of trained teachers. Children in rural areas often receive little to no formal education, which puts them at a disadvantage both academically and in standardized testing.
Nutrition is another critical factor. Yemen has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the world, with a large percentage of children suffering from malnutrition. This stunted physical and cognitive development, making it harder for many children to reach their full intellectual potential.
It’s important to note that IQ scores often fail to capture the kind of intelligence required in Yemen’s current context—survival skills, adaptability, and resilience. In such challenging circumstances, the traditional measures of IQ are insufficient to understand the full scope of human potential.
- Philippines – Average IQ: 78
The Philippines, with an average IQ of 78, faces challenges that contribute to lower scores in international rankings. While it’s important to note that the country has a relatively high literacy rate and a thriving educational system, there are significant regional disparities, especially between urban and rural areas.
In rural areas, educational opportunities are limited. Schools are often overcrowded, underfunded, and lacking in essential resources. The quality of education is inconsistent, and many students drop out early to help support their families. These factors contribute to lower overall academic performance, which in turn impacts performance on IQ tests.
Nutrition is also a key factor. While there has been improvement in food security, many children in the Philippines still suffer from malnutrition, which affects their cognitive development. Chronic undernutrition during the early years can have lasting effects on learning abilities and IQ scores later in life.
Moreover, IQ tests may not adequately capture the strengths of Filipino culture, which places a high value on family, social connections, and community problem-solving. These forms of intelligence are vital in the country’s context, but they don’t necessarily show up on a traditional IQ test.
- Madagascar – average iq: 75
Madagascar, an island nation off the coast of Africa, has an average IQ score of 75. While this score may appear low, it’s essential to consider the complex historical and socio-economic factors at play. Madagascar faces numerous challenges, including widespread poverty, a struggling education system, and limited access to healthcare, all of which contribute to the nation’s cognitive development challenges.
Education in Madagascar is often hindered by resource scarcity. Many schools lack basic infrastructure, and teacher quality can be inconsistent. In rural areas, where a large portion of the population resides, children may never even attend school, as they are needed to contribute to the household through work. These educational barriers lead to lower literacy rates and limited cognitive development during the crucial early years.
Nutrition is another major factor. Madagascar ranks among the poorest nations in the world, and many children face malnutrition. Lack of proper nutrition in early childhood stunts brain development, impacting both learning and cognitive performance. Healthcare access is also minimal, which worsens the situation, especially in remote areas.
It’s important to recognize that IQ scores cannot fully reflect a nation’s intellectual potential. The challenges Madagascar faces in education, healthcare, and infrastructure skew IQ testing results. Nevertheless, the resilience and adaptability of the Malagasy people show that intelligence cannot be measured solely through standardized tests.
Wrapping up
The low average IQ scores in these countries are tied to deep-rooted issues like poverty, poor access to education, and limited healthcare. These factors affect cognitive development, but they don’t define people’s true potential. IQ tests just don’t capture everything, especially when you consider different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
But there’s hope. With the right focus on improving education, nutrition, and healthcare, we can create lasting change. Small improvements can go a long way in helping children reach their full cognitive potential.
If you care about making a difference, supporting initiatives that invest in early childhood education, better nutrition, and accessible healthcare is key. We all have a part to play in giving every child the chance to grow, learn, and succeed.
