World Most Powerful Countries

In the last fifty years the power equations between countries have shifted considerably. Also, the rise of new economic powers in the east has changed the power rankings of countries. This ranking is a measure of the political and economic clout the country enjoys.

The top ten countries in the power rankings are the United States, China, India, Japan, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Brazil and Italy. The former superpower Russia, the largest country in the world, is still a powerful country, but not a leading one. Countries from Asia such as China and India have joined Japan in the list. The sole country from South America is Brazil.

The global power ranking of a country is calculated on the basis of factors such as Gross Domestic Product of a country, its defense spending, its infrastructure & technology, and its population. The National Power Index score of a country is derived from the product of these weighted factors. These scores are computer calculated and expressed as a country's share of global power. The values can be forecasted for any country.

United States

Based on the GDP and its defense spending, the US is the most powerful country. It is also the third largest by area and population. All these are factors are taken into account while calculating the power ranking of a country, and so the United State is still the dominant power in the world.

Europe

In the last century European countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, France and Italy have been the most powerful countries in the world. They are still in the list of the most powerful countries but at slightly lower rankings. Germany now is the most powerful country in Europe because of its strong economy ahead of United Kingdom (historically, a leading country) and France. In technology, one of the factors for National Power Index, Europe leads the rest of the world.

Rise of China, India, and Brazil

Asia accounts for the majority of world population and it is fitting that Asian countries are in the list of the world's most powerful nations. Japan is one of the leading economies in Asia apart from being in the forefront of technology and infrastructure. The sheer size and population of China and India have propelled these towards economic clout. China is the second largest and India is seventh largest country in the world.

Chinese GDP is one of the highest in the world and in technology also China is ahead of many European powers. Chinese GDP is projected to be the highest in the world in the next twenty years. India accounts for 20% of the world population, and with a fast growing economy, it has joined the list of the most powerful countries. Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world, has the sixth largest economy in the world. It is one of the fastest growing economies in South America.

Last Updated on : 11/26/2012