The top 10 most powerful countries in the world, according to our new ranking.

The top 10 most powerful countries in the world, according to our new ranking.

A new ranking of the world’s most powerful countries from the Legatum Institute has placed the United States in second place behind Norway, while the UK has fallen out of the top 10 entirely. The list, which scores each country on eight categories such as economy, entrepreneurship and education was designed to provide a more holistic view of national power than traditional indices like GDP or military expenditure. Here are the top 10 countries in the world, according to our ranking. [Link]

1) United States

With over 324 million people and a GDP (PPP) of $16.7 trillion, no other country rivals America's military might or economic importance. The US has an extremely large military budget by global standards and is a major contributor to United Nations peacekeeping efforts; it also maintains significant power projection capabilities, with a massive network of allies, partners and bases around the globe.

2) Russia

Russia is one of only two nuclear weapons states that are recognized as a great power by the United Nations. It has won five Olympic medals since 1992 and continues to be a leader on global issues, including climate change and human rights.

3) People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China (PRC) is a sovereign state located in East Asia. It is governed as a single-party state under a socialist system led by its Communist Party with its capital in Beijing.[23] It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau), and claims sovereignty over Taiwan.

4) India

India is second-fastest growing economy in the world. The World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report 2013-14 ranks India 40th out of 144 economies on its Global Competitiveness Index (GCI). In terms of competitiveness and policies for 2015, India was ranked 27th out of 139 economies.

5) France

France is a member of several international organisations including UNESCO, NATO and OECD and will host UEFA Euro 2016. It is a founding member of La Francophonie, an organisation of French-speaking countries established in 1969... read more here! #2: United States The United States are one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). They have won 13 Olympic medals at every Summer Games since 1896.

6) United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes England, Scotland and Wales with its capital city in London.

7) Germany

The first of our top ten is Germany, home of Angela Merkel and a global powerhouse of finance and manufacturing. In 2017 alone Germany produced more than $5 billion worth of weapons—not just rifles but submarines and tanks as well—and exported nearly half a trillion dollars worth of goods worldwide; its export sector accounts for more than 21% of GDP in Germany.

8) Japan

Japan was ranked number one on economic strength. The country has a GDP of $4 trillion and a GDP per capita of $35,170.

9) Brazil

The largest country in South America and a BRICS member, Brazil has a global influence on par with far bigger economies like Germany and Japan. Its economy is highly dependent on commodity exports; its credit rating is one of the best among emerging markets; and it’s still got plenty of untapped growth potential—including low-cost offshore oil that could fuel long-term economic expansion. In fact, Goldman Sachs forecasts that it will surpass Germany as one of Europe's biggest economies by 2022!

10) Turkey

Turkey is a transcontinental country, straddling Eastern Europe and Western Asia, with a small section on its southern tip (the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) located on Southeastern Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Iran and Iraq to...