Top 10 Most Powerful Country in the World 2020

The world’s most powerful countries also are the ones that consistently dominate news headlines, preoccupy policymakers and shape global economic patterns. Their foreign policies and military budgets are tracked religiously. When they make a pledge, at least some in the international community trust they will keep it.

The Power sub ranking is based on an equally weighted average of scores from five country attributes that related to a country's power: a leader, economically influential, politically influential, strong international alliances and strong military. The Power sub ranking score had an 8% weight in the overall Best Countries ranking.

Below,we have listed the listed the Top 10 Most Powerful Country in the World 2020:

#10 Saudi Arabia

GDP- $782.5 Billion

Population- 33.7 million

GDP per Capita, PPP $55,730

Saudi Arabia is the giant of the Middle East, with both the vast majority of land and wealth of the Arabian Peninsula falling within its borders. Millions of devout Muslims from around the world participate in a pilgrimage to Mecca each year, believed to be the birthplace of the Muslim prophet Mohammed and the cradle of Islam. The kingdom makes up around 18 percent of the world's petroleum reserves, according to OPEC. It is the second largest OPEC Member Country.

However, in recent years, low oil prices have taken a toll on the Saudi economy. Thus, the kingdom has steered away from its dependence on oil with wide-reaching economic reforms, including instituting austerity measures and implementing taxes.

#09 South Korea

 GDP- $1.6 trillion

POPULATION-51.6 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP- $43,290

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a nation in eastern Asia with a long history of conflict that occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. 

South Korea’s high-tech, service-based economy, is a foreign investment success story, becoming the first recipient of OECD Development Assistance Committee funds to later become a donor of the funds. The nation has seen steady growth and poverty reduction since the 1960s and is now the world’s seventh-largest exporter and 11th-largest economy overall. It has one of the world’s largest gross national savings and reserves of foreign investment, reminiscent of a dictatorship that placed heavy emphasis on saving instead of spending. Disposable household income has increased in recent years, and South Korea’s large upper class is keen to spend their money on “brand name” items and products.

South Korea is a member of many international organizations, including the United Nations, G-20, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum and World Trade Organization.

#08 Israel

GDP- $369.7 billion

POPULATION- 8.9 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP- $37,994

Israel, the only Jewish nation in the world, is a small country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. For its relatively small size, the country has played a large role in global affairs. The country has a strong economy, landmarks of significance to several religions and strained relationships with many of its Arab neighbours.

Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with cut diamonds, high-technology equipment and pharmaceuticals among its major exports. The country is very highly developed in terms of life expectancy, education, per capita income and other human development index indicators. However, the country also has one of the most unequal economies in the Western world, with significant gaps between the rich and poor.

Israel is a member of numerous international organizations, including the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

#07 Japan

GDP- $5.0 trillion

POPULATION- 126.5 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP -$44,246

Japan, one of the world’s most literate and technically advanced nations, is an East Asian archipelago country made up of 4 primary islands and more than 6,800 others. While mountains and heavily wooded areas cover most of Japan, the country’s people lead an urban lifestyle. Long culturally influenced by its neighbours, today the country blends its ancient traditions with aspects of Western life.

Japan is known worldwide for its traditional arts, including tea ceremonies, calligraphy and flower arranging. The country has a legacy of distinctive gardens, sculpture and poetry. Japan is home to more than a dozen UNESCO World Heritage sites and is the birthplace of sushi, one of its most famous culinary exports. The country has developed many forms of martial arts. Its most famous traditional sport is sumo wrestling, which can trace its origins to the 8th century.

Japan is a member of several international organizations, including the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

#06 France

GDP- $5.0 trillion

POPULATION- 126.5 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP- $44,246

The influence France has on the world, both in the past and today, is difficult to overstate. Located in Western Europe, France is one of the world’s oldest countries, and its reach extends around the globe through science, politics, economics and perhaps above all, culture.

The French economy is one of the world’s largest and is a mixture of private enterprise and government involvement. Tourism is a major contributor to the economy – France generally tops lists of most visited countries. Other major economic sectors include industry, agriculture, energy and defence. The country is one of the world’s top exporters of weapons. France has a rich cultural heritage. French literature began in the middle Ages, and the country has a long history in fine arts, music and dance. Cinema occupies an important place in the country’s cultural life. French cuisine is popular around the world, as is the wine produced in the country.

France is a founding member of the United Nations and has a permanent seat on its Security Council. Other major groups it belongs to include the European Union, World Trade Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and NATO.

#05 United Kingdom

GDP- $2.8 trillion

POPULATION- 66.5 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP- $45,741

The United Kingdom is a highly developed nation that exerts considerable international economic, political, scientific and cultural influence. Located off the northwest corner of Europe, the country includes the island of Great Britain – which contains England, Scotland and Wales – and the northern portion of the island of Ireland.

The capital city, London, is a major international financial centre and one of the most visited cities in the world. The banking and tourism industries are parts of a larger service sector that powers much of the nation’s economic growth. The industrial revolution began in the U.K., and manufacturing – led by the automobile and aerospace industries – is a declining though still significant part of the nation’s economy. The United Kingdom is home to some of the top universities in the world, including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London.

The United Kingdom is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and is a member of major international organizations including the European Union, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, NATO and the Group of 20.

#04 Germany

GDP- $4.0 trillion

POPULATION- 82.9 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP- $52,386

Germany, the most populous nation in the European Union, possesses one of the largest economies in the world and has seen its role in the international community grow steadily since reunification. The Central European country borders nine nations, and its landscape varies, from the northern plains that reach to the North and Baltic seas to the Bavarian Alps in the south.

His country’s population is aging, however, raising questions about the high level of spending for social services. The overwhelming majority of citizens are ethnic German, with Turks and other Europeans representing significant minority populations. Germany is one of the world’s most popular migration destinations, though its open-door policy has become a point of contention in the wake of crimes committed within the country's borders recently. Culturally, Germany has produced some of the world’s leading figures in the natural and social sciences, as well as the arts. 

Germany belongs to major international organizations, including the United Nations, the European Union, Group of 20, NATO and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

#03 China

GDP- $13.6 trillion

POPULATION- 1.4 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP- $18,116

Home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, China has been ruled by the Communist Party since 1949, when the nation was established as the People’s Republic of China. The country is the world’s most populous and is considered the second largest by land mass.

China’s rapid economic development poses several domestic challenges, including balancing population growth with its natural resources, a growing income inequality and a substantial rise in pollution across the country. The nation’s rapid rise in global influence also has led to challenges abroad. China has come under frequent criticism – most notably from the United States – for its human rights policies. Political freedom remains tightly controlled, and China has some of the world’s tightest restrictions on Internet usage. China regularly ranks near the bottom of international rankings for media freedom.

China is recognized as possessing nuclear weapons. It has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since 1971 and is a member of several international and regional organizations, including the World Trade Organization and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

#02 Russia

GDP- $1.7 trillion

POPULATION- 144.5 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP- $28,797

The scale of Russia is difficult to imagine. It is the world’s largest country by land mass – nearly twice as big as Canada, the world’s second-largest nation – and covers all of northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe. It shares land borders with more than a dozen countries, and shares sea borders with Japan and the United States.

Russia has one of the world’s largest economies that is powered by its extensive natural resources. Top industries include oil and natural gas production, with agriculture, forestry, fishing and manufacturing serving as other economic drivers. Oil and natural gas, in particular, represent large portions of the country’s economy. Russia also is one of the world’s largest exporters of military weapons, trailing only the United States. Russia’s vast size and deep history has nurtured major cultural contributions in science and the arts. Russians were the first to launch an artificial satellite into outer space and to perform a spacewalk.

Russia is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and is a member of major international organizations, including the Group of 20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Council of Europe and the World Trade Organization.

#01 United States

GDP- $20.5 trillion

POPULATION- 327.2 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP- $62,869

The United States of America is a North American nation that is the world’s most dominant economic and military power. Likewise, its cultural imprint spans the world, led in large part by its popular culture expressed in music, movies and television.

The U.S. is a constitution-based federal republic comprised of 50 states. The U.S. economy is the world’s largest in terms of gross domestic product, and the most technologically powerful. The country’s most significant exports are computers and electrical machinery, vehicles, chemical products, food, live animals and military equipment. The U.S. also has the world’s largest coal reserves. The country is home to some of the top universities in the world, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The U.S. often takes a leading role in international organizations, and was a founding force behind institutions such as the United Nations, NATO and the World Bank.