Education is a basic human need that every country must provide to its citizens. While every country has educational arrangements, few succeed in helping citizens become their best version.
A new study by Serpple evaluated various countries based on factors like the number of universities, level of tertiary education attainment, number of Nobel prizes won, etc., to determine the world’s smartest countries. According to the results, the following 10 countries emerge as the smartest.
Iceland
Iceland ranked first as the smartest country in the world. Approximately 43.56% of the country’s population has received at least university-level education, making half the population highly literate. Iceland also has the third-highest number of universities for every 100,000 residents, which makes higher education easily accessible to everyone. The country has received the third-highest number of Nobel prizes at 0.25 per 100,000 citizens, translating to two Nobel prizes for a population size of 668,000.
Latvia
Next to Iceland is Latvia, the world’s second smartest country. Latvia has earned a score of 2.94 for having the highest number of universities for every 100,000 citizens, significantly higher than countries like Norway and Denmark. The easy availability of top universities enabled nearly 39.47% of Latvia’s population to receive a university education. Latvia has won one Nobel Prize, which is remarkable based on the prize’s rarity and the country’s population size.
Slovenia
Slovenia has secured the third spot as the smartest country in the world. It stood out for having the second-highest number of universities for every 100,000 residents. The strong educational infrastructure and easy access to top universities made obtaining tertiary education easier for Slovenian people. Approximately 40.11% of the country’s population has studied beyond secondary education. Slovenia has received one Nobel Prize for its remarkable contribution to quantitative organic microanalysis.
Ireland
Ireland scored 43.38 in the study, gaining the fourth position as the world’s smartest country in 2024. While Ireland has fewer universities for every 100,000 citizens, more than half its population (approximately 54.39%) has earned a university degree. Ireland has also made it to the list of top five smart countries because the country has produced eleven Nobel laureates since 1932 in various categories, which is higher than the combined Nobel prizes earned by Iceland, Latvia, and Slovenia.
Estonia
Estonia is the second Baltic state in the top five names that has secured the fifth spot in the study for the smartest countries in 2024. It has secured a total score of 42.45 and has 2.28 universities for every 100,000 Estonian residents. Despite having a slightly lower count for the university number, a significant portion of the country’s population has received tertiary education. Approximately 42.10% of its population has a university qualification, which is impressive.
Canada
Canada ranks sixth as the world’s smartest country in 2024. It has an approximate population of 41,465,298 (as of October 2024) and nearly 100 public universities. It translates to having 0.24 universities for every 100,000 Canadian residents. Despite having fewer universities for such a large population, it ranks first for the highest number of citizens (62.74%) with a university degree. It also boasts having seventeen Nobel Prize winners, one of the highest for any country on this list.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg secured seventh place on the list of smartest countries. It has a comparatively higher number of universities for every 100,000 residents compared to Canada. With a population of approximately 676,592 (as of December 2024) and 12 operating universities, Luxembourg has around 1.7 universities for every 100,000 residents. The country also boasts one of the highest tertiary educational attainment rates at 60.2% in the European Union (EU).
Switzerland
Switzerland is among the most beautiful countries in the world, but the country is now known for more good reasons. It has grabbed the eighth spot in the smartest countries of the 2024 list. Switzerland is home to 8,943,792 people (as of December 2024) with 12 accredited universities, translating to 0.13 universities for every 100,000 residents. The proportion of university graduates in Switzerland has more than doubled since 1996, with approximately 44% of people aged 25-64 having finished tertiary education.
Denmark
Ninth on the list is Denmark. It has a population of 5,993,317 (as of November 2024) and 37 higher education institutions, translating to 0.617 institutes for every 100,000 residents. This abundance of tertiary institutes has helped many of Denmark’s citizens to receive higher education beyond secondary education. Denmark is also home to 14 Nobel Prize winners, which is impressive.
Norway
Last on the list is Norway. Despite ranking as the tenth smartest country in 2024, Norway boasts an impressive count of tertiary institutions compared to few other countries on this list. With a population of 5,585,044 (as of November 2024) and 21 tertiary education avenues (universities and university colleges), Norway has approximately 0.37 universities for every 100,000 residents. Despite having a slightly lower university share, nearly 48% of Norway’s population aged 25-64 has attained tertiary attainment, which is remarkable.
