Iceland: Ranked 26th in Smartest Countries in 2023

Iceland, with its strong emphasis on education and a robust learning environment, ranks 26th in the list of the world's smartest countries in 2023, boasting an average IQ of 98.3.

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Reykjavik, Iceland

Why Iceland?

Genetic Factors: Research suggests genetic predispositions play the main role in the intelligence levels observed.1

Education: Success in Iceland's educational system is strongly influenced by the high intelligence of its populace, as supported by recent genetic research.2

Economy: Iceland's economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth, with a 6.4% increase in GDP in 2022, the highest in over 15 years, driven by strong private demand and increased trade. Challenges such as a hot housing market, a tight labor market, and rising inflation emerged, leading the Central Bank of Iceland to raise interest rates to 7.5%. Despite these challenges, the overall economic position remains favorable, with low household debt levels and a tourism industry nearing peak levels. Iceland also aims to be carbon-neutral and fossil fuel-independent by 2040, leveraging its high share of renewables. 3

References

  1. Plomin, R., von Stumm, S. The new genetics of intelligence. Nat Rev Genet 19, 148–159 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg.2017.104.
  2. Okbay, A., Wu, Y., Wang, N. et al. Polygenic prediction of educational attainment within and between families from genome-wide association analyses in 3 million individuals. Nat Genet 54, 437–449 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01016-z.
  3. The Icelandic Economy Q3 2023 - Iceland Chamber of Commerce. https://www.chamber.is/reports/the-icelandic-economy-q3-2023.