Asians dominated the survey compiled by Austrian researchers who drew on a variety of sources to produce average IQs for the population of each country, Sunday Star-Times reported in Wellington Sunday.

The survey comparing the intelligence of people from 50 countries and regions was conducted by the University of Vienna Medical School, according to the paper.

The survey said the people of Hong Kong topped the table, followed by South Korea, Japan and Singapore.

According to the findings, New Zealanders came 11th on a par with the British and Belgians when it comes to brain power, but Australians and Americans ranked only mid-table positions.

The findings also showed Kiwis and Australians had a higher average IQ than people in Ireland, Canada, South Africa and Spain.

The paper said that the use of IQ tests to make comparisons between different nationalities was contentious. It is believed Asian countries perform well due to advanced mathematical skills.

Last year a study from academics at Northern Ireland's University of Ulster and the University of Tampere in Finland claimed intelligence was the largest factor behind the economic success of a nation.

The authors of that report, making a correlation between mentalability and real gross domestic product, placed New Zealand alongside Canada, Australia, the United States and most of Europe when it came to brain power.

Asian nations again came out on top in the study as the brightest populations in the world with those of sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean at the bottom of the pile.

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