Intelligence quotient or IQ, is often used as the standard of measuring smartness. It is the ability of a person to learn. A high IQ indicates that a person is intelligent and has an ability to learn things faster, while a low IQ indicates low intelligence or a lower ability to learn faster. Last week, Manila ranked among the lowest in the world's smartest cities. This time around, we look at the national IQ average.

It is important to remember that IQ is not the only measure of a country’s intelligence, nor should it reflect a nation’s thinking ability. Numerous studies also linked poverty incidence with low IQ scores, which could be because of poor access to education, or poor educational systems.

Below is the list of the smartest countries in ASEAN based on data aggregated by World Population Review 2019.

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No data was provided for Timor-Leste. Other notable countries that ranked higher than the Philippines are Iraq (87) and Sierra Leone (91).

The top five countries in the world with highest IQs are Asian countries. Leading the world is Singapore and Hong Kong (108), followed by South Korea (106), Japan and China (105), and Taiwan (104).

Source: World Population Review 2019