What Is the Average IQ Score?

CheckIQ Editorial Team · Updated

The average IQ is 100. IQ tests are scaled so that the middle of the population scores exactly 100. Scores from 90 to 109 count as average, and about two thirds of people score between 85 and 115.

What counts as an average IQ?

Psychologists call scores from 90 to 109 average. About half of the population falls in that range, so a score anywhere in it is completely normal.

IQ score chart: what your score means
IQ scoreClassificationShare of people
130+Very superior2.2%
120–129Superior6.7%
110–119High average16.1%
90–109Average50%
80–89Low average16.1%
70–79Borderline6.7%
< 70Extremely low2.2%

What is the average IQ by age?

It’s 100 at every age. Professional IQ tests compare you only with people your own age, so a 10-year-old who scores 100 is exactly average for 10-year-olds, and an adult who scores 100 is average for adults.

What changes with age is the ability behind the score. Fluid reasoning, the skill IQ puzzles test, tends to peak in early adulthood, while vocabulary and general knowledge keep growing into middle age.

Why does the average stay at 100?

During the 20th century, raw scores on IQ tests rose in many countries. This is known as the Flynn effect. Test publishers re-norm their tests every few years to bring the average back to 100, so 100 always means “average for today”.

Does an average IQ limit what you can achieve?

No. IQ measures one set of reasoning skills. It says nothing about creativity, motivation, social skills or practical know-how, and those often matter more in real life.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average IQ for an adult?

100. Adults are compared with other adults, so the average is 100 by definition.

What is the average IQ for a teenager?

Also 100. A 15-year-old is compared with other 15-year-olds, so the average stays at 100.

Is an IQ of 100 good?

An IQ of 100 is exactly average: higher than half of all people. It’s a perfectly normal score.

Learn more about IQ