Men vs. Women IQ: Is There a Gender Difference in IQ Scores?

The difference in IQs of men and women is a controversial topic, with both sides claiming superiority and prioritizing personal bias over scientific research.

Therefore, we’ve decided to clear up common misconceptions about gender and IQ and only present facts supported by psychometric research. To achieve that, we’ve consulted some of the best experts in the field, asking them to put an end to this discussion once and for all.

Here is what we’ve uncovered.

Key Takeaways

• There is no significant gender difference in IQ scores between men and women; both genders have an average IQ of 100.
• Historically, the male brain was considered better than the female due to its larger size, but science proved size had nothing to do with intelligence.
• Men excel at spatial intelligence and math, while women score higher on verbal tests, reading comprehension, and processing speed.
• Although gender doesn’t affect IQ, certain factors, such as genetics, environment, education, nutrition, and alcohol abuse, certainly do.

What Is the IQ Level of Men and Women?

an image of a man and a women discussing men vs women IQ

The IQ level of men and women is 100, which is the general population’s average as well. After all, research has proven that there are no significant differences in intelligence between genders and that gender isn’t a deciding factor in determining IQ.

Still, it’s worth exploring how men and women compare to each other in terms of cognitive capabilities. Below, we delve deeper into average male and female IQs.

#1. Average Male IQ

Historically, men were thought to be more intelligent, and if we take a look at the number of male geniuses compared to female geniuses, we might believe these claims to be true.

However, men aren’t actually smarter; they’ve simply had access to better education and more opportunities for development. Current research shows that the average male IQ isn’t significantly different from the average female IQ—in fact, they both are approximately 100.

That said, some researchers claim that men show greater variability in IQ scores. For instance, more men are found among top scorers with genius-level IQs but also among those with particularly low results. However, the validity of these claims isn’t yet entirely confirmed.

#2. Average Female IQ

On average, women have an IQ of 100, just like men, disproving the former claims that they were the intellectually weaker gender.

In fact, the Flynn effect, a term that describes a gradual increase in IQ in the population, seems stronger in women than men. Possible causes for this development include more educational opportunities and a challenging lifestyle that requires cognitive switching between raising a family and meeting professional demands.

If the variability hypothesis for men is correct, then it’s also true that women don’t exhibit such drastic differences in IQ. In other words, the female IQ percentile is more likely to be around average than in the upper or lower part of the scale.

Gender and IQ: Historical Perspective

Gender and IQ: Historical Perspective

From a historical perspective, men were always seen as smarter than women. The first allegedly concrete proof was found in the difference in brain size—male brains are approximately 10–15% larger than female brains.

However, a big brain doesn’t actually indicate higher intelligence. Several large mammals, such as whales, dolphins, and elephants, have much larger brains than humans, yet they wouldn’t score high on an IQ test.

Still, these misconceptions persisted well into the 20th century, as men continued to dominate intellectual spaces and women were relegated to housekeeping and child-rearing roles.

Finally, the first evidence to the contrary was presented in 1916, when American psychologist Lewis Terman wrote his study on children’s IQ, which proposed that there was no significant difference between boys and girls, at least up to the age of 14.

Afterward, as the feminist movement gained support, it was recognized that women aren’t actually less intelligent—they simply don’t have as many opportunities to exercise their cognition. Once that changed, any existing intelligence discrepancies quickly evened out.

Gender Differences in Specific Aspects of IQ

Although there are no significant differences in IQ between men and women, some aspects of intelligence do seem to be influenced by gender. Before we delve into that, we should note that even with these differences, culture and upbringing likely play a larger role than biology.

Here are some aspects of IQ where differences are the most obvious:

• Verbal skills and reading comprehension. Women consistently outperform men on verbal tasks and generally exhibit higher linguistic intelligence. In addition, they tend to read more, which boosts their overall reading comprehension.
• Spatial ability. On the other hand, men are generally better at orientation, mental rotation of objects, and other skills related to spatial intelligence. Some scientists hypothesize that might be because of their past hunter-gatherer role, which made spatial skills crucial for success.
• Processing speed. Women are found to process some information about five times faster than men, as their brains are better interconnected. However, they also tend to be more vulnerable to damage than male brains.
• Math performance. Men have an advantage when it comes to solving mathematical problems, as they consistently score higher on tests than women. Still, it should be noted that this has a lot to do with upbringing and the general encouragement men receive in math-related subjects.
• Self-estimated intelligence. When asked to estimate their own intelligence, men tend to overestimate themselves, while women tend to underestimate their IQ. Once again, this has a lot to do with the societal and cultural expectations put on both genders.

5 Factors That Influence IQ

Gender may not be one of the factors that influence IQ, but genetics, environment, education, nutrition, and alcohol abuse are.

Below, we explore each of these factors in more detail to gain a better understanding of why intelligence develops the way it does.

#1. Genetics

Genetics as difference in men vs woman IQ

A large part of intelligence is inherited, as proven in numerous twin studies. Some of the boldest claims assert that this inherited component is as high as 80%, but even the more modest hypotheses put that number above 50%.

However, it’s important to note that children don’t inherit IQ directly from their parents without any changes. Since there are thousands of genes that determine intelligence, they can inherit any number of combinations. As a result, a genius child can be born into a low IQ family.

#2. Environment

a picture of a tree growing on soil

Regardless of your genetic IQ potential, you’re unlikely to go very far without your environment’s support. In fact, without the proper kind of nurture, IQ can stagnate, never developing as much as it could.

On the other hand, proper parental encouragement and an environment that emphasizes the importance of cognitive development are likely to boost your IQ score, especially if started at an early age.

A case in point is Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgar, whose father set out to create a genius and, judging by her estimated IQ of 170, succeeded.

#3. Education

an image of kids raising hands to learn about men vs women IQ

The Flynn effect is watertight proof that education has an immense impact on intelligence. Namely, psychologists believe that it’s thanks to better and more widespread education that IQ has been on the rise since its measurement first started.

And considering that education boosts both fluid and crystallized intelligence, that hypothesis is likely correct. School teaches students to solve problems and think in novel ways while simultaneously enriching their knowledge and increasing their understanding of the world.

#4. Nutrition

An image of healthy food

One of the reasons countries with high levels of poverty tend to have lower average IQs is a shortage of food, which leads to inadequate nutrition in the population. When this happens, especially in childhood, it can have a detrimental effect on IQ. After all, the brain can’t properly develop when deprived of nutrients.

Instead, it switches to survival mode, only using as much energy as necessary to function. As a result, it can’t spare enough for developing cognition, which ultimately causes stagnation.

#5. Alcohol Abuse

A picture of a drink being spilled and the difference it has on men vs women IQ

As a study conducted on eight-year-olds confirmed, excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy can permanently lower the child’s IQ. Even moderate drinking can have this effect, so it’s recommended to avoid alcohol entirely.

However, alcohol doesn’t only affect IQ in children whose mothers used to drink during pregnancy. It can also impact IQ scores in adults who drink excessively, decreasing them by a few points. For further insights on this topic, read our article on alcohol and IQ.

Men vs. Women IQ: Why Is It Important?

It’s important to discuss the IQ of men and women primarily to understand the differences and similarities between the two genders, as well as to clear out certain common misconceptions about male and female intelligence.

Let’s cover why researching and discussing male and female IQ is important in a bit more detail:

• Understanding gender differences. Although neither men nor women are actually smarter, they do exhibit small differences in how they use their intelligence and which aspects they focus on. Discussing these can help us better understand both genders, along with their strengths and weaknesses.
• Accepting gender similarities. It’s easy to fall into the mindset that one gender is smarter than the other based on our personal biases, but reviewing actual research can remind us that we aren’t that different after all and should treat each other with respect.
• Exploring the factors that affect IQ. Even if gender doesn’t determine intelligence, certain cultural and societal factors impact how each gender is raised and which aspects of intelligence they prioritize. Once we unpack that, we can figure out how to help both genders achieve their full intellectual potential.

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Final Thoughts

So, who is smarter, men or women? As it turns out, neither gender has a significant advantage when it comes to intelligence. While men may excel at certain aspects of cognition, women excel at others. In the end, the overall result balances out.

However, the misconceptions about either gender being inferior still exist, and, therefore, the IQ of men and women needs to be discussed further. After all, that’s the only way to do away with them once and for all.