Average IQ in Jordan: What the Evidence Really Shows

What did Jordan score in PISA 2022?

The OECD Education GPS reports Jordan's 2022 means as 361 in mathematics, 342 in reading, and 375 in science. The OECD comparison means were 472, 476, and 485. PISA assesses how 15-year-olds apply knowledge, solve problems, think critically, and communicate; it is not a clinical IQ battery.

The proficiency distribution is equally important. Seventeen percent of students in Jordan reached at least Level 2 in mathematics, compared with 69% across OECD countries. Twenty percent reached Level 2 or higher in reading, compared with 74% across the OECD, and 31% reached that level in science, compared with 76%. At Level 2, students are beginning to identify a simple mathematical representation, locate a main idea in a moderate-length text, or recognize a correct explanation of a familiar scientific phenomenon.

Almost no students in Jordan were top performers at Levels 5 or 6 in mathematics or science, and almost no students reached Level 5 or higher in reading. These statements identify a system-level learning challenge; they do not classify Jordanian people as inherently less capable.

How representative was Jordan's PISA sample?

The OECD reports that 7,799 students in 260 schools completed at least one subject, representing about 144,300 15-year-olds and an estimated 94% of the country's 15-year-old population. That broad coverage makes the results informative about the participating age cohort, while still leaving an important boundary: PISA does not test adults, younger children, or people who were not eligible or present in the sampled schools.

Jordan also switched from paper to computer assessment in 2022. The OECD warns that earlier reading and science scores used a scale only weakly linked to the international scale, so it does not report reading and science trends for Jordan and limits trend reporting to mathematics. A comparison that ignores this measurement change can mistake a change in scale or mode for a change in ability.

Jordan's 2022 results were lower in mathematics than in 2018, while reading and science were about the same as in 2018. The OECD also notes that 65% of students reported their school building was closed for more than three months during COVID-related disruptions. That context is part of interpreting a 2022 school assessment; it is not evidence of a fall in innate intelligence.

What do differences within Jordan tell us?

The national mean hides meaningful variation. Socioeconomically advantaged students in Jordan outperformed disadvantaged students by 40 mathematics points. Although that gap was smaller than the 93-point OECD average, it still shows that resources and background are linked to measured performance. The OECD also found that 15% of disadvantaged Jordanian students scored in their country's top quarter—a reminder that a country mean contains high achievers and students facing very different circumstances.

Gender differences are task-specific rather than a single intelligence ranking. Girls outperformed boys by 15 points in mathematics and by 46 points in reading in PISA 2022. In reading, 72% of girls and 88% of boys scored below Level 2. Those figures describe performance on particular tasks under particular conditions; they do not establish that one gender has a universally higher IQ.

School conditions matter too. Seventy-two percent of Jordanian students said that, in most mathematics lessons, teachers showed interest in every student's learning, and 73% said teachers provided extra help when needed. At the same time, 38% reported that they could not work well in most or all lessons. These experiences help explain outcomes more usefully than a decontextualized ranking.

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Can PISA be converted into Jordan's IQ?

No accepted conversion can do that reliably. PISA uses item-response models and a scale designed for international education comparisons. IQ tests use different item types, age norms, constructs, and reference populations. A conversion would require assumptions about how applied school skills relate to general cognitive ability, how to weight people not represented, and which norm defines an IQ of 100.

The sample and mode limitations would carry into any transformed number. A result with several decimal places would still be a modeled interpretation of a school assessment, not a new national cognitive survey. Reporting Jordan's PISA scores in PISA points is more accurate and more useful.

How should readers interpret Jordan's education data fairly?

Ask a narrow, answerable question: “How did Jordanian 15-year-olds perform on PISA tasks in 2022?” or “How large were socioeconomic and gender differences in that sample?” Do not use the result to predict an individual's score, character, or ceiling.

For an individual, use an age-appropriate, properly normed assessment under standard conditions. For policy, combine PISA with attendance, teacher support, school resources, household data, health, and socioeconomic measures. Every source answers a different question; none becomes an IQ test simply because it has a number.

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Q: What is the average IQ in Jordan?

A: There is no authoritative single national IQ average for Jordan. Online estimates often combine different tests, samples, and years, so they should not be treated as a representative population measurement.

Q: What were Jordan's PISA 2022 scores?

A: Jordanian 15-year-olds averaged 361 in mathematics, 342 in reading, and 375 in science. These are PISA performance scores, not IQ points; the OECD comparison means were 472, 476, and 485.

Q: How many Jordanian students took PISA 2022?

A: 7,799 students in 260 schools completed at least one subject. They represented about 144,300 15-year-olds, or an estimated 94% of Jordan's 15-year-old population.

Q: Does Jordan's PISA result measure intelligence?

A: No. PISA measures applied literacy, mathematics, and science in a sampled age group. Schooling, language, resources, disruptions, motivation, and test mode also affect performance.

Q: Can Jordan's PISA score be converted into an IQ?

A: No accepted conversion is scientifically reliable. PISA and IQ tests use different tasks, scales, norms, and purposes, so a conversion would create false precision.

References

• OECD. PISA 2022 Results: Country Note for Jordan.
• OECD. Education GPS: Jordan — Student performance (PISA 2022).
• OECD. Jordan country note, PISA 2018 results.
• National Center for Human Resources Development. Jordan TIMSS reports.

Last updated: July 19, 2026