The 10 smartest countries based on math and science

Matthew SpeiserMay 14, 2015, 02.17 AM

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Thomas Galvez

Singapore is the smartest country in the world, followed by Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Finland, Estonia, Switzerland, Netherlands and Canada rounding out the top 10.

The BBC says this is the conclusion of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an economic think tank that outlined its findings in a new report ranking countries' school systems based on students math and science test scores.

The report - which the BBC received early access to - will be formally presented at the World Education Forum in South Korea next week.

Of the 76 countries ranked, the top half is largely dominated by Asian nations, the BBC reports. European countries take up a majority of spots 5 through 30 in the rankings, and the United States sits at the tail end of the top third, tied at 28th with Italy. The bottom half of the rankings feature mostly African and Latin American countries.

The bottom 10? Saudi Arabia at 66th, followed by Colombia, Qatar, Indonesia, Botswana, Peru, Oman, Morocco, Honduras, South Africa, and Ghana in last place.

Complete Rankings:

1. Singapore

2. Hong Kong

3. South Korea

4. Japan (tie)

4. Taiwan (tie)

6. Finland

7. Estonia

8. Switzerland

9. Netherlands

10. Canada

11. Poland