Top 10 Countries in Africa with the Most Intelligent People: 2026 IQ Rankings

Global intelligence rankings often generate strong reactions, but beyond the debate lies data that can help illuminate broader social and developmental patterns.

The 2026 Average IQ by Country results, published by the International IQ Test, are based on responses from more than one point two (1.2) million people worldwide who completed the same standardised online assessment in two thousand and twenty five (2025). When examined carefully, the findings offer insight into how education, health, nutrition and access to learning opportunities intersect across regions, including Africa.

Rather than viewing Africa as a single statistical bloc, the data highlights meaningful variation among countries on the continent. Several African nations recorded average scores in the mid to high nineties (90s), placing them closer to the global mean score of one hundred (100) than is often assumed in public discourse. These results underscore the importance of context and caution against oversimplified comparisons.

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Among the African countries ranked near the top of the continent’s performance range are Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Ethiopia. While each country has a distinct social and economic profile, they share several characteristics that help explain their outcomes in international cognitive assessments. These include relatively wider access to formal education, higher literacy rates compared to regional averages, and growing participation in digital platforms where such tests are administered.

North African countries, in particular, continue to benefit from long-established education systems and a strong emphasis on foundational subjects such as mathematics and science.

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Meanwhile, countries in other parts of the continent are increasingly represented as internet penetration expands and younger populations engage more actively with online learning tools. Ethiopia’s inclusion among Africa’s stronger performers, for instance, reflects changing participation patterns rather than a sudden shift in national cognitive ability.

It is essential to understand what these rankings do, and do not, measure. The International IQ Test uses a non-verbal, pattern-recognition format inspired by Raven’s Progressive Matrices, designed to minimise language and cultural bias.

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However, the results still reflect who has access to the internet, who chooses to take the test, and who completes it under stable conditions. As a result, the rankings should be interpreted as indicative trends rather than definitive assessments of national intelligence.

Health outcomes, childhood nutrition, disease burden and exposure to cognitively stimulating environments all play a role in shaping test performance. The test’s publishers also note that most countries’ average scores change very little from year to year, suggesting that broader structural factors, rather than short-term events, largely drive the results.

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The table below presents the top ten (10) African countries by average IQ in two thousand and twenty six (2026), based strictly on countries that met the minimum participation threshold required for inclusion. Read alongside its methodology and limitations, the data offers a more balanced and informed perspective on cognitive performance across the continent.