When it comes to cross-cultural examination, IQ test might be considered one of the most efficient methods, because words are irrelevant in this case. It shrinks with age and most believe that it is something inherited, rather than learned.
The data is from a paper, Intelligence and the Wealth Poverty of Nations by Lynn and Vanhanen. Neither the paper, nor the data used in it are contemporary. The dataset spans from 1952 to 1999. I know that it sounds outdated and maybe doesn’t prove an equal ground for comparison. But apparently, 1952 was the last time an extensive IQ test for teenagers was actually conducted in Belgium. I tried creating this map using other data and realized that bigger picture is very close to this with a small error margin. Due to this fact, credibility of this research will have to suffice.
The paper compares the IQ scores to GDP of every country. I decided to exclude that part, whereas I believe that inconsistent GDP history pattern would lead to misinterpretation of the graph. Besides, we get a very similar picture with that data too.
I came across several theories and sources on this subject. Some believe that climatic effects are the determining factor. Others say that economically developed countries are responsible for the setback in poor regions. Some theories suggest that culture, values and motives create the difference. Perhaps it is because all of these reasons combined to various extends.
Here is the live version of the map.
