DailyKenn.com | AbateHate.com | Facebook Group
Correlation is not causation. Before drawing conclusions, we must first ask: Why are some nations developed while others are not? To answer that, we need to examine a more fundamental question: What characteristics do underdeveloped nations tend to share?
One clear pattern is that underdeveloped countries tend to have lower average IQs. Specifically, nations with an average IQ below 100 generally struggle to achieve sustained prosperity. It is important to note, however, that a high average IQ does not guarantee prosperity. Iran, for example, has an average IQ of around 106 yet has faced significant developmental hurdles. Similarly, China remained underdeveloped for decades despite its high average IQ, and countries like Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus—despite having relatively high average IQs—have not fully realized their economic potential.
Now, let’s examine prosperous nations and ask: What common denominators are essential for their success?
First, they have an average IQ that is average or above average.
Second, they have some form of representative government.
Third, they have free-market economies.
Germany and Korea stand out as classic examples.
When divided, West Germany possessed all three essentials for prosperity: an intelligent population, a representative government, and an economy based on free-market principles.
East Germany’s population was just as intelligent as West Germany’s, yet it lacked a representative government and free markets. Consequently, East Germany fell far behind West Germany.
The same applies to Korea.
South Korea boasts one of the highest average IQ scores globally, typically estimated in the 105–109 range. Recent large-scale online IQ test data from 2026 place it at 106.97, ranking first worldwide based on over 1.2 million participants across 126 countries.
North Korea lacks any reliable, direct IQ data due to its isolation. Given the shared ethnic and historical background with South Korea, its genetic cognitive potential is expected to be very similar. However, South Korea’s GDP per capita remains roughly 30–35 times higher than North Korea’s, highlighting the dramatic impact of differing economic systems, institutions, and living conditions.
Sub-Saharan African nations are commonly labeled as 'developing economies.' In reality, most remain stagnant, with persistently low productivity and living standards that show little prospect of converging with those of successful developing countries.
Western leaders sought to address the legacy of colonial exploitation by granting African colonies independence and promoting democratic systems. Nevertheless, most Sub-Saharan African economies have largely failed to achieve sustained development and broad-based prosperity.
Persistent Economic Disparities Among Populations of Sub-Saharan African Descent
Wherever Africans exist in large numbers, from nations to neighborhoods, they lag behind economically.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the world's poorest region by a substantial margin. According to World Bank data for 2024, GDP per capita in the region stood at approximately $1,533 (nominal), compared to a global average of roughly $13,000–$14,000. Even in periods of relatively strong aggregate GDP growth, per capita gains have been modest — often around 1.0–1.7% annually — largely because population growth averages about 2.5% per year. As a result, many countries experience limited improvements in living standards.
It is noteworthy that many "progressive" economists promote immigration to Western countries as a means of generating population growth to fuel economic growth and offset demographic decline. In contrast, in Sub-Saharan Africa, rapid population growth is widely regarded as a key reason why economic progress remains elusive, as high fertility rates often outpace gains in output and infrastructure.
Decades after gaining independence, and despite trillions of dollars in foreign aid, debt relief, and various institutional reforms (including the adoption of democratic governance models), structural transformation into high-productivity, modern economies has been limited in most Sub-Saharan African nations. Fast-growing countries occasionally emerge, yet sustained convergence toward high-income levels remains rare.
Notable exceptions include Botswana and Mauritius, which have achieved relatively strong long-term performance, as well as more recent growth episodes in countries such as Ethiopia and Rwanda. However, these cases are outliers and still lag significantly behind East Asian and Eastern European economies that began at comparable levels of development in the mid-20th century.
Patterns in Western Countries
Similar disparities appear at the neighborhood and community level in the United States and Europe. Areas with large concentrations of people of sub-Saharan African descent — including "African American" neighborhoods, Caribbean communities, and recent migrant enclaves — consistently exhibit:
- Higher poverty rates
- Lower median incomes
- Lower rates of homeownership
- Higher unemployment
- Lower levels of wealth accumulation
In the United States (2023–2025 data), the median black household income was approximately $56,000, compared to $84,000–$88,000 for White (non-Hispanic) households — a gap of roughly 33–36%. The racial wealth gap is even more pronounced: median net worth for black households is around $44,000, versus approximately $284,000 for White households (roughly 15 cents on the dollar). These gaps have persisted or, in some periods, widened despite extensive civil rights legislation, affirmative action programs, and substantial welfare expenditures.
Comparable patterns are observed in major European cities with sizable African or Caribbean populations, including over-representation in lower-income brackets, higher welfare dependency, and relative under-performance in educational and occupational outcomes compared to native European or East/South Asian groups.
The constant factor is intelligence levels
A major underlying contributor to these persistent gaps is the well-documented difference in average cognitive ability, as measured by IQ tests. Such differences show strong correlations with educational attainment, job performance, innovation capacity, and the ability to sustain complex economic systems.
Comprehensive psychometric reviews (including datasets by Lynn, Becker, and subsequent analyses) estimate the average IQ in Sub-Saharan Africa in the range of 68–75, with recent syntheses converging around 70–71. Alternative estimates derived from international student assessments are sometimes slightly higher but remain substantially below global norms.
Among African Americans, who on average carry approximately 15–25% European genetic admixture, the mean IQ is around 85 — roughly one standard deviation below the White American mean of approximately 100–103. This gap has narrowed only modestly since the 1970s and has proven remarkably stable across decades.
These cognitive differences predict real-world economic outcomes more effectively than explanations centered solely on discrimination, colonialism, or systemic racism. The gaps endure across generations, under diverse governance systems, and even within relatively affluent subgroups.
Twin, adoption, and genomic studies indicate that cognitive ability is highly heritable within populations — typically 50–80% in adulthood. National IQ averages also exhibit robust correlations with GDP per capita, innovation rates, and institutional quality across countries. East Asians (average ~105) and Europeans (~100) have consistently outperformed globally, while populations with substantially lower averages face greater challenges meeting the cognitive demands of high-trust, high-skill modern economies.
Additional Contributing Factors
Although average cognitive ability is a powerful predictor, it is not the sole factor. Other influences may include:
- Cultural patterns related to time preference, family structure, and impulse control
- High fertility rates that dilute per capita gains
- Governance challenges and corruption in many settings
- Migration selection effects (first-generation African immigrants to the West are often positively selected, yet their children frequently show regression toward the broader group mean)
Environmental interventions — such as improvements in nutrition, schooling, and healthcare — can modestly raise realized IQ scores (the Flynn effect). However, despite massive investments, these have not closed the gaps to developed-world levels.
(I advocate for an ethical, voluntary approach to eugenics — often called ‘positive eugenics’ — that actively encourages higher reproduction among individuals with superior cognitive abilities while providing incentives and support to discourage high fertility among those with lower cognitive ability.)
Comparative Perspective: East Asia vs. Sub-Saharan Africa
The divergence is particularly striking when compared with East Asia. In the 1950s–1960s, several East Asian economies started with GDP per capita levels similar to or lower than those in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. Over subsequent decades, East Asian nations achieved rapid industrialization, technological advancement, and dramatic increases in living standards. In contrast, Sub-Saharan Africa experienced relative stagnation or far slower convergence, highlighting the importance of human capital differences alongside institutional and cultural factors.
In summary, the pattern of economic under-performance among populations of sub-Saharan African descent — whether in sovereign nations or diaspora communities within prosperous host societies — is both real and recurrent. Historical exploitation alone does not adequately explain these outcomes, as similar lags appear even in contexts with minimal colonial history. Differences in human capital, particularly the distribution of cognitive abilities, offer the most parsimonious and empirically supported explanation for why large concentrations of sub-Saharan African ancestry populations tend to lag economically relative to other groups in comparable environments. Acknowledging these realities is essential for understanding repeated policy shortfalls and for developing more realistic approaches to development and social mobility.
Your $8 monthly partner pledge helps us reach others & more ►
This article includes embedded decoy information to detect unauthorized use and copyright infringement. Reproduction is permitted only verbatim and in full, with all links preserved and attribution clearly given to DailyKenn.com and AbateHate.com.
Find archived black-on-white homicide news reports here ►
200 latest news reports from 100 top conservative websites ►
