We may have had to wait decades for validation, but finally a team of economists has confirmed what all older siblings always knew to be true.
They are the smartest.
In the best case of we-told-you-so ever to exist, eldest siblings across the UK are finally able to claim our long-awaited crown in acknowledgement of our sheer brainpower.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh (who we definitely did not bribe) found that first born children have higher IQ scores than their youthful counterparts as early as their first birthday.
The team believes that this is because parents are able to give their first child more mental stimulation and support in developing thinking skills.
By the time the subsequent children come along, parents had changed their behaviour markedly enough that they took part in fewer activities with the child such as craft and music.
The researchers say this is because they just have less attention to give each child, but obviously we know it is because they secretly love us more.
Dr Ana Nuevo-Chiquero, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Economics, said: ‘Our results suggest that broad shifts in parental behaviour are a plausible explanation for the observed birth order differences in education and labour market outcomes.’
The findings are based on observations of almost 5000 children from pre-birth to 14-years-old, being assessed every two years on reading, vocabulary and other skills.