Morocco ranks 174th out of 199 countries in international IQ ranking

Morocco is among the lowest-ranked countries in the world in an international classification of average intelligence quotient scores. 

The ranking published by CEOWORLD places the North African kingdom 174th out of 199 territories analysed, with an estimated average score of 67.03.

The figure, originally published in 2024 and recently highlighted again by La Bandera, places Morocco clearly below its Maghreb neighbours. Algeria has an average score of 76, while Tunisia reaches 79.22. The difference is almost nine points compared with Algeria and more than 12 points compared with Tunisia.

Behind the rest of the Maghreb

The ranking places countries such as Somalia, with 67.67 points, and Cameroon and Nigeria, both with 67.76, immediately ahead of Morocco. Namibia, Dominica and São Tomé and Príncipe appear below it.

The gap is also considerable compared with other North African and Arab countries. Libya scores 80.92; Egypt, 76.32; Saudi Arabia, 76.36; Kuwait, 78.64; and Oman, 78.70.

Asian countries dominate the top of the ranking. Japan leads with 106.48 points, followed by Taiwan with 106.47 and Singapore with 105.89.

Result reignites debate over education

The poor result has fuelled debate about shortcomings in Morocco’s education system. Factors that may influence performance in these tests include teaching quality, school enrolment, literacy, childhood nutrition, household income and access to educational resources.

The figure of 67.03 is an aggregate estimate for the country as a whole and cannot automatically be attributed to any individual Moroccan citizen. The ranking compares national averages and does not determine the specific abilities of each person.