Power on the World Stage

The annual U.S. News Power Ranking is a survey among approximately 21,000 managers, political and cultural elites and well-informed citizens to determine the world's most powerful countries. Taking into account political and economic influence, military alliances and the strength of the army, the ranking includes some 80 countries and shows their relative importance on the world stage.

The top of the 2017 ranking displays no real surprises, with the United States, Russia and China forming the top three, followed by two other Security Council members and Germany. Of the Middle Eastern countries Israel ranks the highest, mostly a result of the strength of the Israeli army.

Interestingly, the chart shows that power and wealth are not always interrelated. Countries with a relatively low GDP per capita, like India and Pakistan, rank higher than the Netherlands on account of the size of their army. The country with the highest GDP per capita, the United Arab Emirates, holds a relatively modest 10th place in the ranking. In 10th place, it however still outranks Canada, Iran and Australia, all countries with a considerable larger territory than the UAE!