Forbes list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women

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Angela Merkel has been ranked the most powerful woman 14 times.

Since 2004, Forbes , an American business magazine, has published an annual list of its ranking of the 100 most powerful women in the world. Edited by prominent Forbes journalists, including Moira Forbes, the list is compiled using various criteria such as visibility and economic impact. In 2024, the gauge was "money, media, impact and spheres of influence". ^[3] The top 10 per year are listed below.

Top 10 most powerful women of 2024

Claudia Sheinbaum

1. Ursula von der Leyen , President of the European Commission
2. Christine Lagarde , President of the European Central Bank
3. Giorgia Meloni , Prime Minister of Italy
4. Claudia Sheinbaum , President of Mexico
5. Mary Barra , CEO of General Motors
6. Abigail Johnson , CEO of Fidelity Investments
7. Julie Sweet , CEO of Accenture
8. Melinda French Gates , co-chair of the Gates Foundation
9. MacKenzie Scott , philanthropist
10. Jane Fraser , CEO of Citigroup ^[4]

2023

Giorgia Meloni

1. Ursula von der Leyen , President of the European Commission
2. Christine Lagarde , President of the European Central Bank
3. Kamala Harris , Vice President of the United States
4. Giorgia Meloni , Prime Minister of Italy
5. Taylor Swift , musician and singer-songwriter
6. Karen Lynch , CEO of CVS Health
7. Jane Fraser , CEO of Citigroup
8. Abigail Johnson , President-CEO of Fidelity Investments
9. Mary Barra , CEO of General Motors
10. Melinda French Gates , co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ^[5]

2022

Ursula von der Leyen

1. Ursula von der Leyen , President of the European Commission
2. Christine Lagarde , President of the European Central Bank
3. Kamala Harris , Vice President of the United States
4. Mary Barra , CEO of General Motors
5. Abigail Johnson , President-CEO of Fidelity Investments
6. Melinda French Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
7. Giorgia Meloni , Prime Minister of Italy
8. Karen Lynch , CEO of CVS Health
9. Julie Sweet , CEO of Accenture
10. Jane Fraser , CEO of Citigroup ^[6]

2021

Kamala Harris

1. MacKenzie Scott , philanthropist
2. Kamala Harris , Vice President of the United States
3. Christine Lagarde , President of the European Central Bank
4. Mary Barra , CEO of General Motors
5. Melinda French Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
6. Abigail Johnson , President-CEO of Fidelity Investments
7. Ana Patricia Botín , Executive Chairman of Banco Santander
8. Ursula von der Leyen , President of the European Commission
9. Tsai Ing-wen , President of Taiwan
10. Julie Sweet , CEO of Accenture

2020

Christine Lagarde

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[2]
2. Christine Lagarde , President of the European Central Bank
3. Kamala Harris , Vice President-elect of the United States
4. Ursula von der Leyen , President of the European Commission
5. Melinda Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
6. Mary Barra , CEO of General Motors
7. Nancy Pelosi , Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
8. Ana Patricia Botín , Executive Chairman of Banco Santander
9. Abigail Johnson , President-CEO of Fidelity Investments
10. Gail Koziara Boudreaux , CEO of Anthem ^[7]

2019

Nancy Pelosi

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[2]
2. Christine Lagarde , President of the European Central Bank
3. Nancy Pelosi , Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
4. Ursula von der Leyen , President of the European Commission
5. Mary Barra , CEO of General Motors
6. Melinda Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
7. Abigail Johnson , President-CEO of Fidelity Investments
8. Ana Patricia Botín , Executive Chairman of Banco Santander
9. Ginni Rometty , CEO of IBM
10. Marillyn Hewson , CEO of Lockheed Martin ^[8]

2018

Theresa May

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[2]
2. Theresa May , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
3. Christine Lagarde , Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
4. Mary Barra , CEO of General Motors
5. Abigail Johnson , President-CEO of Fidelity Investments
6. Melinda Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
7. Susan Wojcicki , CEO of YouTube
8. Ana Patricia Botín , Executive Chairman of Banco Santander
9. Marillyn Hewson , CEO of Lockheed Martin
10. Ginni Rometty , CEO of IBM ^[9]

2017

Melinda Gates

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[2]
2. Theresa May , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
3. Melinda Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
4. Sheryl Sandberg , COO of Facebook
5. Mary Barra , CEO of General Motors
6. Susan Wojcicki , CEO of YouTube
7. Abigail Johnson , President-CEO of Fidelity Investments
8. Christine Lagarde , Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
9. Ana Patricia Botín , Executive Chairman of Banco Santander
10. Ginni Rometty , CEO of IBM ^[10]

2016

Hillary Clinton

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[2]
2. Hillary Clinton , United States presidential candidate
3. Janet Yellen , Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve
4. Melinda Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
5. Mary Barra , CEO of General Motors
6. Christine Lagarde , Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
7. Sheryl Sandberg , COO of Facebook
8. Susan Wojcicki , CEO of YouTube
9. Meg Whitman , CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise
10. Ana Patricia Botín , Executive Chairman of Banco Santander ^[11]

2015

Janet Yellen

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[2]
2. Hillary Clinton , United States presidential candidate
3. Melinda Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
4. Janet Yellen , Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve
5. Mary Barra , CEO of General Motors
6. Christine Lagarde , Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
7. Dilma Rousseff , President of Brazil
8. Sheryl Sandberg , COO of Facebook
9. Susan Wojcicki , CEO of YouTube
10. Michelle Obama , First Lady of the United States ^[12]

2014

Dilma Rousseff

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[2]
2. Janet Yellen , Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve
3. Melinda Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
4. Dilma Rousseff , President of Brazil
5. Christine Lagarde , Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
6. Hillary Clinton , former United States Secretary of State
7. Mary Barra , CEO of General Motors
8. Michelle Obama , First Lady of the United States
9. Sheryl Sandberg , COO of Facebook
10. Ginni Rometty , CEO of IBM ^[13]

2013

Michelle Obama

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[2]
2. Dilma Rousseff , President of Brazil
3. Melinda Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
4. Michelle Obama , First Lady of the United States
5. Hillary Clinton , United States Secretary of State
6. Sheryl Sandberg , COO of Facebook
7. Christine Lagarde , Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
8. Janet Napolitano , United States Secretary of Homeland Security
9. Sonia Gandhi , President of the Indian National Congress
10. Indra Nooyi , Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo ^[14]

2012

Jill Abramson

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[2]
2. Hillary Clinton , United States Secretary of State
3. Dilma Rousseff , President of Brazil
4. Melinda Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
5. Jill Abramson , Executive Editor of The New York Times
6. Sonia Gandhi , President of the Indian National Congress
7. Michelle Obama , First Lady of the United States
8. Christine Lagarde , Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
9. Janet Napolitano , United States Secretary of Homeland Security
10. Sheryl Sandberg , COO of Facebook ^{[15] [16]}

2011

Indra Nooyi

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[2]
2. Hillary Clinton , United States Secretary of State
3. Dilma Rousseff , President of Brazil
4. Indra Nooyi , Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
5. Sheryl Sandberg , COO of Facebook
6. Melinda Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
7. Sonia Gandhi , President of the Indian National Congress
8. Michelle Obama , First Lady of the United States
9. Christine Lagarde , Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
10. Irene Rosenfeld , Chairman and CEO of Mondelez International ^{[17] [18]}

2010

Irene Rosenfeld

1. Michelle Obama , First Lady of the United States
2. Irene Rosenfeld , Chairman and CEO of Mondelez International
3. Oprah Winfrey , talk show host on The Oprah Winfrey Show
4. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany
5. Hillary Clinton , United States Secretary of State
6. Indra Nooyi , Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
7. Lady Gaga , singer, actress and record producer
8. Gail Kelly , CEO of Westpac
9. Beyoncé Knowles , singer, actress and record producer
10. Ellen DeGeneres , talk show host on The Ellen DeGeneres Show ^[19]

2009

Sheila Bair

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[1]
2. Sheila Bair , Chair of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
3. Indra Nooyi , Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
4. Cynthia Carroll , CEO of Anglo American plc
5. Ho Ching , CEO of Temasek Holdings
6. Irene Rosenfeld , Chairman and CEO of Mondelez International
7. Ellen Kullman , CEO of DuPont
8. Angela Braly , President-CEO of Anthem
9. Anne Lauvergeon , CEO of Areva
10. Lynn Elsenhans , Chairwoman, CEO and President of Sunoco ^[20]

2008

Cynthia Carroll

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[1]
2. Sheila Bair , Chair of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
3. Indra Nooyi , Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
4. Angela Braly , President-CEO of Anthem
5. Cynthia Carroll , CEO of Anglo American plc
6. Irene Rosenfeld , Chairman and CEO of Mondelez International
7. Condoleezza Rice , United States Secretary of State
8. Ho Ching , CEO of Temasek Holdings
9. Anne Lauvergeon , CEO of Areva
10. Anne Mulcahy , Chairman and CEO of Xerox ^[21]

2007

Wu Yi

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[1]
2. Wu Yi , Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
3. Ho Ching , CEO of Temasek Holdings
4. Condoleezza Rice , United States Secretary of State
5. Indra Nooyi , Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
6. Sonia Gandhi , President of the Indian National Congress
7. Cynthia Carroll , CEO of Anglo American plc
8. Patricia Woertz , President-CEO of ADM
9. Irene Rosenfeld , Chairman and CEO of Mondelez International
10. Patricia Russo , CEO of Alcatel-Lucent ^[22]

2006

Condoleezza Rice

1. Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany ^[1]
2. Condoleezza Rice , United States Secretary of State
3. Wu Yi , Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
4. Indra Nooyi , Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
5. Anne Mulcahy , Chairman and CEO of Xerox
6. Sallie Krawcheck , CFO of Citigroup
7. Patricia Woertz , President-CEO of ADM
8. Anne Lauvergeon , CEO of Areva
9. Brenda Barnes , President-CEO of Sara Lee
10. Zoe Cruz , Co-President of Morgan Stanley ^[23]

2005

Yulia Tymoshenko

1. Condoleezza Rice , United States Secretary of State
2. Wu Yi , Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
3. Yulia Tymoshenko , Prime Minister of Ukraine
4. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo , President of the Philippines
5. Meg Whitman , President-CEO of eBay
6. Anne Mulcahy , Chairman and CEO of Xerox
7. Sallie Krawcheck , CFO of Citigroup
8. Brenda Barnes , President-CEO of Sara Lee
9. Oprah Winfrey , talk show host on The Oprah Winfrey Show
10. Melinda Gates , Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ^[24]

2004

Sonia Gandhi

1. Condoleezza Rice , United States National Security Advisor
2. Wu Yi , Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
3. Sonia Gandhi , President of the Indian National Congress
4. Laura Bush , First Lady of the United States
5. Hillary Clinton , United States Senator
6. Sandra Day O'Connor , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
7. Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
8. Megawati Sukarnoputri , President of Indonesia
9. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo , President of the Philippines
10. Carly Fiorina , CEO of Hewlett-Packard ^[25]

See also

• Forbes list of the World's Most Powerful People
• 40 Under 40

References

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External links

• Official Forbes site: The World's Most Powerful Women