10 SMARTEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD
10. SWITZERLAND
In
comparison to the global average IQ of 90, Swiss citizens by comparison have an
average
IQ of
101. Their higher intelligence may be a result of their famously unique
education
system,
that specifically tailors programs according to a student’s needs and
abilities.
This way
of teaching clearly works well for the country, as the 2016 World Economic
Forum
rated
Switzerland’s school system the second best in the world.
The
country has also helped to pave the way for many notable Nobel Prize laureates
including
the
world-famous physicist Albert Einstein, who developed his special relativity
while
working
in Bern.
9. SWEDEN
Sweden
excels in most socio-economic categories such as quality of life, health,
education,
civil
liberties and economic competitiveness. So it’s no wonder this Scandinavian
country
ranks 9th
among the most intelligent nations of the world.
In
October 2015, The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, also
known as
the
OECD, released its Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard report, which
ranked
Sweden
3rd, with 28% of its students graduating with a STEM degree.
Swedes
are also very conscious of the environment. In fact, they’re so good at
recycling that,
for
several years, the country has imported rubbish from other countries to keep
its recycling
plants
going.
8. ITALY
Italy
has made an enormous contribution to the world in many different areas from
science
and
technology to arts, so it comes as no surprise that this country is within the
top
10
smartest in the world.
Education
in Italy is free and mandatory from ages six to sixteen. In 2012, the Italian
secondary
education was evaluated as slightly above the OECD average, with a strong and
steady
improvement in science and mathematics results since 2003.
Intelligence
is about more than just IQ though. From the artwork and inventions designed by
Leonardo
da Vinci such as the helicopter, to the fashion houses of Milan, Italy’s
cultural
influence has always been profound.
7. NETHERLANDS
Reflecting
its high quality of life and prosperity, Dutch children were found to be the
happiest
in the
world in a 2013 UNICEF study, leading the way globally in education and
well-being.
Schools
typically don't give much homework until secondary level and students report
little
pressure and stress. The lack of stress makes education fun and therefore
students
are more
likely to stay on to pursue further education.
The
Programme for International Student Assessment ranks the education in the
Netherlands as
the 9th
best in the world as of 2008, being significantly higher than the OECD average.
The
Netherlands has also provided other breakthroughs, including the invention of
the microscope,
thermometer
and the submarine.
6. GERMANY
Home to
more than 82 million people with an average IQ of 102, Germany is a highly
developed
country
with an outstanding standard of living and a very efficient education system.
The
concept of kindergarten, the transition before mandatory education, was
introduced
in
Germany by Friedrich Froebel in 1840, providing educational environments for
children at a
very
young age.
After
completing primary education in four grades, German students are placed in one
of three
tracks based on academic performance: gymnasium for those headed to college,
Realschule
for
white-collar careers and Hauptschule for trade professions.
By
placing children on designated career paths it helps them focus on their
education.
Many
German students then go onto one of the many prestigious, tuition-free
universities.
And
students overseas join them. According to an OECD report in 2014, Germany is
the
world's
third leading destination for international study.
5. AUSTRIA
In terms
of both population and area, Austria is much smaller that its northern neighbor
Germany,
but in terms of living standards, prosperity, and education, it is very
similar.
Austria
has the second-highest number of working-age PhDs in the world, with 6.7 female
and 9.1
male
doctorate holders per 1,000 people.
The
nation also has a rich tradition of being a continental cultural center.
Vienna, the
nation’s
capital, became Europe’s center for classical music innovation.
Famous
composers such as Franz Schubert and Johann Strauss were born in Vienna, and
both
Ludwig
van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart spent much of their lives in the
city.
4. SINGAPORE
The top
four is dominated by Asian countries exclusively, with the fourth spot being
claimed
by
Singapore.
A
sovereign city-state, Singapore is known as one of the most technologically
advanced
countries
in the world, with an average IQ of 103.
According
to the influential Programme for International Student Assessment rankings,
Singapore
has the highest achieving students in international education rankings, even
above
China and Japan, with its teenagers coming top in tests in maths, reading and
science.
In 2015, over half of International Baccalaureate
top
scorers were from Singapore.
3. TAIWAN
Heavy
investment and a cultural value for education has propelled this resource poor
nation
to consistently top the global education rankings.
In 2015,
Taiwanese students achieved one of the world's best results in mathematics,
science
and
literacy, just behind the leaders Singapore, as tested by Programme for
International Student
Assessment.
The
country has also been praised for its high further education entrance rate,
where
the
university acceptance rate has increased from around 20 percent before the
1970s to
49
percent in 1996, and over 90 percent since 2006, among the highest in Asia.
2. JAPAN
In 2016,
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development tested literacy
skills among
graduates
from all over the world and the high-flyers were not, as you’d probably
guess,
in the US or UK, but in Japan.
As the
Japanese economy is largely scientific and technological based, the labor
market
demands
people who have achieved some form of higher education.
About
75.9 percent of high school graduates attended a university, junior college,
trade
school,
or other higher education institution. This figure is nearly 10% higher than
students
in the
US.
The two
top-ranking universities in Japan are the University of Tokyo and Kyoto
University,
which
jointly created 16 Nobel Prize laureates.
1. SOUTH KOREA
South
Korea is known for its strict emphasis on education, so it’s no surprise to see
it in
the top spot.
The
country invested heavily in education during the second half of the 20th
century,
and in
2010, spent 7.6% of its GDP on all levels of education, significantly more
than the
OECD average of 6.3%.
This
investment had a positive effect on the numbers of South Koreans going to
university.
According
to OECD figures, 69% of 25-34 year-olds in South Korea have a college degree
and 32%
of those
students graduate with STEM degrees.
Entrance
into a top tier higher educational institution in South Korea leads to a
prestigious,
secure
and well-paid white collar job with the government, banks, or a major South
Korean
conglomerate
such as Samsung, Hyundai or LG Electronics.
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