Do Filipinos have the lowest IQ in ASEAN ? Not Anymore!

UPDATE: Filipino IQ went up from 81.64 (ranked 111 in the world) to 96.66 (ranked 78th in the world) as of November 2025.

In a welcome reversal, the Philippines’ average IQ increased to 96.66 in 2025. This improvement outperformed several ASEAN peers and effectively debunked the long-standing online myth that Filipinos had the “lowest IQ” in the region. According to data from WorldWide-IQ-Test.com, the Philippines now ranks higher than Cambodia, Indonesia, and Laos. Read more at Philippines’ Average IQ Rises to 96.66 in 2025

Filipino IQ went down from 86 (ranked 59th in the world) to 81.64 (ranked 111 in the world).

While results from these tests can be contested, it is still beneficial for educators and academics to work toward improving our standing. More importantly, we now live in an era of multiple intelligences, where IQ alone no longer defines a person’s potential or value.

I’m browsing the morning news when I chanced upon this ABS-CBN report: Despite the Philippines’ robust economic growth, it has failed to lift the labor market where many remain trapped in low-paying and unstable jobs.

This reminded me of the press briefer held by the Philippine Marketing Association during their 47th National Marketing Conference, dubbed Hello ASEAN.

What caught my attention was Vietnam’s progress. Fifty years since ASEAN was founded, Vietnam now has the lowest poverty rate in the region. In comparison, the Philippines performs better only than Myanmar.

Furthermore, Vietnam successfully increased the IQ level of its citizens, becoming second only to Singapore. At the time, Filipinos were reported to have the lowest IQ in ASEAN.

In a business forum I attended three years ago, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima emphasized that the Philippines’ greatest asset is its young population. A younger workforce can boost productivity and create wealth to support older individuals. He added that the government would invest more in education to make it accessible to the underprivileged—an effort that could eventually raise IQ levels and open doors to higher-quality, better-paying jobs.

Refuting the allegation that Filipinos are “idiots”

Reposting an analysis from Reddit:

It turns out that no matter where you may have seen the statistic, the source is ultimately the 2002 book IQ and the Wealth of Nations by Richard Lynn. The book argues that differences in GDP are explained largely by differences in national average IQ. However, concerns regarding eugenics, scientific racism, and Lynn’s methodology undermine its credibility.

The only Philippine-related source used in Lynn’s book is the 1972 journal article “Some Differences in Cognitive between Selected Canadian and Filipino Students” by Flores and Evans. This study did not estimate national IQ—it only sampled students from two schools in Manila, making the data unrepresentative.

With the K-12 program rolling out, improvements in education are underway, but free and quality education for all remains a challenge. And with NEDA expressing alarm over the high percentage of youth inactivity, we have a serious issue that must be addressed.

If the survey results reflect reality, then stakeholders in education, maternal health, and child development must work together to address this alarming trend. Pointing fingers will not help.

Credit: Images lifted from the PowerPoint presentation of Wilfrido V.E. Arcilla, Program Advisor, 47th National Marketing Conference.