According to the results of the 2025 international cognitive ability testing, Uzbekistan took first place among Central Asian countries, displacing Kazakhstan from the leading position. Experts note that complex statistical calculations, and not just celebratory statements, are behind the high figures.
The study involved 1.2 million people from 137 countries, making it the largest coverage since its launch in 2018. The analysis showed that the intellectual center of gravity of the planet remains in the Asia-Pacific region: South Korea surpassed China for the first time, scoring an average IQ of 106.97, China dropped to second place with 106.48 points, and Japan closed the top three with a score of 106.3.
The growth in South Korea's figures and the decline in China's are explained by the expansion of the sample: the number of participants in South Korea increased by 14%, and in China by 11.1%. In Central Asia, Uzbekistan's leading position highlights changes in the distribution of the region's intellectual potential and attracts researchers' attention to new trends in the cognitive abilities of the population.