China topped the list, followed by the United States and India. Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Italy rounded out the top 10.
The ranking considers several aspects of national power, including political influence, economic strength, export capacity, military capabilities, international alliances and leadership. These factors are intended to reflect countries’ ability to influence international affairs, rather than their economic or military resources alone.
World Population Review attributes the power rankings to U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Countries study, produced in partnership with BAV Group and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were the only Central Asian countries included in the list. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan did not feature.
