The Intelligence of Nations
Richard Lynn & David Becker
The Intelligence of Nations (2019) by Richard Lynn and David Becker is a data compilation and technical manual that updates and details national average IQ scores for 205 countries, drawing from a wide range of sources including intelligence tests and international student assessments. The book asserts a strong correlation between national IQ and various social, cultural, and economic outcomes and argues that future intelligence trends, particularly in the US and Europe, will be negatively affected by dysgenic fertility and immigration, potentially leading to China becoming the main global superpower in the late 21st century. It also serves as the basis for the online National IQ dataset, detailing the data sources, transformations, and methodology used to create the estimates.
Key aspects of the book
- Data compilation: The book provides the most current estimates of national IQs, including data from over 667 studies and a detailed breakdown of the sources used, with approximately 120 pages devoted to country-specific data sources and methodologies.
- Methodology: New methods were devised to aggregate data from different sources, including IQ tests like Raven's Progressive Matrices and Wechsler scales, and international student assessments like PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS.
- Correlations and effects: The book explores the relationship between national IQ and other factors, arguing that cognitive ability is a major determinant of a nation's development, wealth, and other societal outcomes.
- Future predictions: Lynn and Becker conclude by discussing the future of national intelligence, positing that intelligence in the US and Europe may decline due to dysgenic fertility and immigration, while China's intelligence is expected to rise, positioning it to become the global superpower by the second half of the 21st century.
- Legacy: This book is the latest iteration of a long-running compilation started by Richard Lynn, building upon the earlier work with Tatu Vanhanen, such as IQ and the Wealth of Nations (2002). It has become a foundational reference for the subfield of national IQ research.
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