According to the International IQ Test website, that is. The ranking was derived based on the number of people who took its free IQ test on its site.

So, I wouldn’t place much stock on the results. We don’t know the extent to which the respondents are representative of their home country. Still, I confess that it gave me pleasure that Singapore came in 5th. But I guess we are expected to do well. After all, we have one of the highest myopia and sleep deprivation rates in the world. We mug for good grades. Parents in other countries might be preoccupied with sending their children to sport training sessions and enrichment activities on weekends, but here in Singapore, we chauffeur our kids from one tuition centre to another.

Here’s an example of a tuition centre trying to recruit more customers:

Anyway, it seems to me that the world might have undergone a gradual shift and recognised that Emotional Quotient and Adversity Quotient are important traits.

Nonetheless, survey results associated with academic prowess still hog the headlines because we are unduly impressed by high IQ scores. Old habits die hard.

How would you rate the intelligence of the average citizen in your country?