Determining which nations are the most powerful globally is more complicated than one may think. A military force, economic clout, political sway, and cultural sway are all manifestations of power.
The most powerful countries in the world have a significant impact on global economic trends, military might, and foreign policy.
Ranking the world’s most powerful nations each year, U.S. News and World Report collaborates with BAV Group and Wharton School, both of the University of Pennsylvania.
Asked to identify 80 nations in terms of military alliances, international alliances, political influence, economic impact, and leadership, more than 20,000 individuals participated in the study.

The Top 10 Most Powerful Countries in the World (2021 Best Countries Report):
- United States
- China
- Russia
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Japan
- France
- South Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
The United States is the most powerful nation in the world, according to the 2020 study, which will be issued in 2021.
With a 2020 GDP of $20.93 trillion and a military expenditure of $778 billion, the United States has the greatest economy in the world. U.S. military expenditure is larger than the next ten biggest defense spenders (China, India, Russia, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Germany).
The second and third most powerful nations are China and Russia, both of which are well-known for their high levels of military expenditure and enormous landmasses. China’s GDP is $14.3 trillion, making it one of the world’s largest economies.
Also See: Most Liberal Countries 2022
Many countries with significant economies distribute a lot of foreign help, including Germany, the United Kingdom (U.K.), Japan, and France.
Even though some nations have moved up and down the list, nine of the top 10 countries are repeat offenders from last year. It’s the United Arab Emirates, the lone newcomer, which drops Israel one spot to number 11. Canada, India, and Turkey round out the list of the world’s most powerful nations.
Power Ranking | Country | GDP | GDP per Capita | 2022 Population |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States | 21400000000000 | 65280 | 338289.8570 |
2 | China | 14300000000000 | 10217 | 1425887.3370 |
3 | Russia | 1690000000000 | 11498 | 144713.3140 |
4 | Germany | 3860000000000 | 46468 | 83369.8430 |
5 | United Kingdom | 2830000000000 | 42354 | 67508.9360 |
6 | Japan | 5060000000000 | 40113 | 123951.6920 |
7 | France | 2720000000000 | 40380 | 64626.6280 |
8 | South Korea | 1650000000000 | 31846 | 51815.8100 |
9 | Saudi Arabia | 793000000000 | 23140 | 36408.8200 |
10 | United Arab Emirates | 421000000000 | 43103 | 9441.1290 |
11 | Israel | 395000000000 | 43589 | 9038.3090 |
12 | Canada | 1740000000000 | 46327 | 38454.3270 |
13 | India | 2870000000000 | 2101 | 1417173.1730 |
14 | Turkey | 761000000000 | 9127 | 85341.2410 |
15 | Italy | 2000000000000 | 33567 | 59037.4740 |
16 | Australia | 1400000000000 | 55057 | 26177.4130 |
16 | Costa Rica | 64000000000 | 12670 | 5180.8290 |
17 | Switzerland | 731000000000 | 85300 | 8740.4720 |
18 | Spain | 1390000000000 | 29565 | 47558.6300 |
19 | Brazil | 1880000000000 | 8897 | 215313.4980 |
20 | Sri Lanka | 84000000000 | 3852 | 21832.1430 |
20 | Singapore | 374000000000 | 65641 | 5975.6890 |
21 | Iraq | 222000000000 | 5658 | 44496.1220 |
22 | Qatar | 176000000000 | 62088 | 2695.1220 |
23 | Netherlands | 907000000000 | 52295 | 17564.0140 |
24 | Belgium | 533000000000 | 46414 | 11655.9300 |
25 | Vietnam | 262000000000 | 2715 | 98186.8560 |
26 | Sweden | 531000000000 | 51687 | 10549.3470 |
27 | Thailand | 544000000000 | 7817 | 71697.0300 |
28 | South Africa | 351000000000 | 6001 | 59893.8850 |
29 | Egypt | 303000000000 | 3019 | 110990.1030 |
30 | Mexico | 1270000000000 | 9946 | 127504.1250 |
31 | New Zealand | 209000000000 | 41999 | 5185.2880 |
32 | Norway | 406000000000 | 75826 | 5434.3190 |
33 | Ukraine | 154000000000 | 3663 | 39701.7390 |
34 | Denmark | 350000000000 | 60213 | 5882.2610 |
35 | Austria | 445000000000 | 50122 | 8939.6170 |
36 | Belarus | 64400000000.0000 | 6839 | 9534.9540 |
37 | Indonesia | 1120000000000 | 4135 | 275501.3390 |
38 | Malaysia | 365000000000 | 11414 | 33938.2210 |
39 | Lebanon | 52000000000 | 7584 | 5489.7390 |
40 | Kazakhstan | 182000000000 | 9813 | 19397.9980 |
41 | Portugal | 240000000000 | 23285 | 10270.8650 |
42 | Uzbekistan | 57700000000 | 1719 | 34627.6520 |
43 | Ireland | 399000000000 | 80779 | 5023.1090 |
44 | Philippines | 377000000000 | 3485 | 115559.0090 |
45 | Finland | 269000000000 | 48712 | 5540.7450 |
46 | Jordan | 44500000000 | 4405 | 11285.8690 |
47 | Azerbaijan | 48200000000 | 4806 | 10358.0740 |
48 | Argentina | 445000000000 | 9912 | 45510.3180 |
49 | Greece | 205000000000 | 19151 | 10384.9710 |
50 | Poland | 596000000000 | 15695 | 39857.1450 |
51 | Colombia | 323000000000 | 6425 | 51874.0240 |
52 | Oman | 76300000000 | 15343 | 4576.2980 |
53 | Cambodia | 27100000000 | 1643 | 16767.8420 |
54 | Myanmar | 79800000000 | 1477 | 54179.3060 |
55 | Serbia | 51500000000 | 7412 | 7221.3650 |
57 | Chile | 279000000000 | 14742 | 19603.7330 |
58 | Morocco | 120000000000 | 3230 | 37457.9710 |
59 | Kenya | 95500000000 | 1817 | 54027.4870 |
60 | El Salvador | 26900000000 | 4168 | 6336.3920 |
61 | Panama | 66800000000 | 15728 | 4408.5810 |
62 | Tunisia | 39200000000 | 3352 | 12356.1170 |
63 | Guatemala | 77000000000 | 4639 | 17843.9080 |
64 | Ecuador | 108000000000 | 6223 | 18001 |
65 | Peru | 228000000000 | 7028 | 34049.5880 |
67 | Dominican Republic | 88900000000 | 8282 | 11228.8210 |
68 | Hungary | 164000000000 | 16733 | 9967.3080 |
69 | Romania | 250000000000 | 12890 | 19659.2670 |
71 | Slovakia | 105000000000 | 19273 | 5643.4530 |
72 | Uruguay | 61200000000 | 17688 | 3422.7940 |
73 | Croatia | 60800000000 | 14944 | 4030.3580 |
74 | Bulgaria | 68600000000.0000 | 9828 | 6781.9530 |
75 | Lithuania | 54600000000 | 19555 | 2750.0550 |
76 | Latvia | 34100000000 | 17794 | 1850.6510 |
77 | Slovenia | 54200000000 | 25941 | 2119.8440 |
78 | Estonia | 31500000000 | 23718 | 1326.0620 |