Users of Microsoft’s web browser, Internet Explorer, tend to have lower-than-average IQ, a survey carried out Vancouver-based web consulting firm AptiQuant claims.

The psychometric consulting firm questioned more than 100,000 web users and found that users of Internet Explorer scored less-than-average points, while users of Firefox, Safari, Chrome and other browser users scored slightly more than-the-average.

The firm gave a free online Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (IV) test to volunteers for four weeks, and then correlated the data with participants’ browser choice.

In the test, users of Opera scored the highest IQs, above 120, while users of Internet Explorer could score IQs only between 80 and 100.

Amusingly, users of even lesser known web browsers, such as Camino, reported higher IQ levels that those scored by users of Internet Explorer.

From the study, AptiQuant concluded, "From the test results, it is a clear indication that individuals on the lower side of the IQ scale tend to resist a change/upgrade of their browsers."

According to data released by StatCounter, Internet Explorer is still the most popular web browser worldwide, with around 43 per cent share, ahead of Firefox and Chrome, which have nearly 30 per cent and 19 per cent shares respectively.