Understanding National IQ and Avoiding Indonesian Ridicule – Academia

A disturbing trend has emerged in public discourse and the media where national IQ scores in countries such as Indonesia are compared to the intelligence of animals such as chimpanzees. This practice is unjustified and inhumane and reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what national IQ scores represent.

National IQ estimates come from Richard Lynn and Gerhard Mesenberg’s study, National IQ Scores Calculated and Validated for 108 Countries (2024), which builds on earlier work by Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen. Although these scores do not reflect innate intelligence, they can provide insight into the structural factors such as educational quality, health care, and socioeconomic conditions that shape cognitive development.

It is wrong to consider these estimates as final; instead, they should be viewed as indicators of structural factors that support or impede cognitive development.

A national IQ score, such as 87 in Indonesia or 94 in Vietnam, reflects the average scores obtained from cognitive tests administered in each country. This reflects the aggregate outcome of individual test scores, but does not measure each individual’s intelligence.

The IQ scale averages 100 with a standard deviation of 15, meaning most people score between 85 and 115. Scores above 130 are considered highly gifted, while scores below 70 may indicate cognitive problems.

Countries with well-funded and equitable education systems often report higher national IQs, and low teacher salaries are not an option. Ensuring teacher well-being is critical as it directly impacts the quality of education and student outcomes.

However, discussions about education must also consider broader support systems. Equally important are high levels of employment, driven by strong industrial activity, pensions and health care, human rights, anti-corruption measures and merit-based systems. These factors enable families to provide adequate nutrition and an environment conducive to cognitive development.

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