IQ 100 — How Rare It Is, What It Means & Famous People With This Score

Updated 2026-09-26 · Based on historical estimates and psychometric research

An IQ of 100 is exactly average. It sits 0.00 standard deviations above the average and is classed as average.

Percentile50th
How rareexactly average
People alive with this score or higherabout 4.1 billion of 8.2 billion
Standard deviations above the average of 100+0.00
Classificationaverage

Is 100 a good IQ?

An IQ of 100 is exactly average: half of everyone scores between 90 and 110, and the average is set at 100.

How many people have an IQ of 100 or higher?

About 4.1 billion of the world’s 8.2 billion people, on the normal curve (average 100, standard deviation 15) used by modern tests.

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100
Average
Top 50% · about 1 in 2

What Does an IQ of 100 Mean?

An IQ of 100 falls within the "Average" range. The average IQ is 100, and scores between 90-110 are considered typical for the general population. About 50% of people score at or above 100.

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IQ is just one measure of cognitive ability and does not capture creativity, emotional intelligence, wisdom, or specialized talents. Many highly successful individuals have IQ scores in this range.

Classification
Average
Percentile
50%
Std. Deviations
+0.0σ
Rarity
~1 in 2

Where IQ 100 Falls on the Bell Curve

IQ 100 7085100115130145160175190

The highlighted area shows the percentage of the population scoring at or above IQ 100. The dashed line marks the exact position of this score on the normal distribution.

No geniuses in our database have an estimated IQ of exactly 100.

Explore geniuses with nearby IQ scores below, or browse all IQ rankings.

Explore Other IQ Scores

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About IQ Scores: IQ (Intelligence Quotient) scores follow a normal distribution with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Historical IQ estimates for famous individuals are approximations based on their demonstrated achievements, not direct test results. These estimates should be considered illustrative rather than definitive.

More IQ scores explained: IQ 95 · IQ 98 · IQ 99 · IQ 113 · IQ 117 · IQ 121 · IQ 122 · IQ 126 · IQ rarity chart · All IQ guides
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German writer of 'Faust', a polymath whose IQ is often estimated near 210.
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