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So… are Malaysians actually smart? The stats say we're doing pretty well.
It's something many of us like to joke about. "Eh, common sense takde lah," but when it comes to raw data, Malaysians are actually holding their own.
According to the World Population Review 2024, Malaysia's average IQ stands at a solid 100, a respectable position. Especially among our Southeast Asian neighbours.
We're not number one in the region like Singapore, but definitely not trailing behind either
While Singapore unsurprisingly takes the crown with an average IQ of 105, Malaysia is sitting comfortably in the top tier, tied with Vietnam and trailing just behind Thailand at 102.
Here's how we compare:
– Malaysia: 100
– Vietnam: 100
– Philippines: 96.7
– Bangladesh: 96.5
– Indonesia: 93.2
Pretty good, especially when you consider that the global average hovers around 98.
Meanwhile, Asian countries continue to dominate the top of the IQ leaderboard
Across the board, the top IQ scorers in the world are now largely in East Asia. Leading the way are:
– China, Taiwan, Hong Kong & Macau: 107
– South Korea & Japan: 106
– Iran: 106
These scores place Malaysia at 25th globally, while Singapore ranks 8th, continuing its legacy as a global education and innovation hub.
What do these numbers actually mean, and how relevant are they?
IQ scores are influenced by all sorts of things like education systems and access to resources. So, while they can offer some insight into cognitive trends, they don't define a country's full potential.
Still, it's nice to know we're smarter than we give ourselves credit for.
So, the next time someone makes a "Malaysians so blur" comment, you can hit them with: "Actually, we're statistically smart. Got study, okay?"
