The East Asian cognitive skills advantage: myth or reality?

Several researchers have pointed out that East Asian (e.g., China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) populations have higher average academic achievement and IQ test scores relative to other national and ethnic groups, including European and North American populations. However, the factors that underlie these differences are puzzling. Some have suggested a slight but distinctive genetic superiority of East Asian populations, especially in mathematical and visual-spatial abilities. The current article examines to what degree East Asian schoolchildren seem to have an innate or genetic advantage in terms of cognitive ability. As such it uses data from PISA 2018 and 2022, in conjunction with evidence from IQ studies and genetic studies and have a counterfactual approach. The findings suggest that neither do East Asian populations have higher IQs than Europeans, with a few exceptions, nor does genetic evidence point to an East Asian genetic superiority. Instead, the evidence suggests that the East Asian advantage in for example PISA mathematics scores are likely related to a combination of cultural, educational, and economic factors.