NEW YORK – December 11, 2024 – Forbes today announces its 21st annual ranking of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. The list is the definitive ranking of the female CEOs, entertainers, politicians, philanthropists and policymakers who wield significant hard power are creating lasting impact around the world.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, tops the list for the third consecutive year followed by European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, who remains at No. 2. Number three is Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and new to the top five is Mexico president Claudia Sheinbaum, who was inaugurated in October and is her country’s first female head of state.
“As traditional power structures are being tested and transformed, this year’s listees demonstrate that influence extends far beyond conventional authority,” says Moira Forbes, Executive Vice President, Forbes. “From finance and technology to policy and culture, these women are driving transformation where industries and economies are being reinvented, proving their collective impact has never been greater.”
Women featured on this year’s ranking represent six categories: business, technology, finance, media & entertainment, politics & policy, and philanthropy. In a year marked by leadership transitions across the globe and intensifying geopolitical conflicts, these women are demonstrating resilience and innovative approaches as they tackle the most urgent challenges facing our interconnected world.
This year marked a notable reshaping of women’s political influence in the United States and globally. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (No. 3 in 2023), Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (No. 27 in 2023) and U.N Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (No. 75 in 2023) are about to leave their positions of power and so have left their spots on the list. However, the 2024 ranking does include Sheinbaum (No.4) and Judith Suminwa Tuluka (No. 77), the first female president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“In a moment when many Americans are questioning whether a woman could ever be elected to the highest office in the land, this list is proof of the diverse ways in which women are already commanding important leadership roles,” Maggie McGrath, editor of ForbesWomen, says. “From India’s finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, to NVIDIA CFO Colette Kress and U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, the women on this list are shaping the futures of some of the most important economies and sectors of business in the world.”
To determine the rank within each category, as well as overall rank on the list of 100, Forbes applied four metrics: money, media, impact and spheres of influence. Those featured are builders, disruptors, and innovators in every sector, from corporate to creative worlds, taking a modern, forward-looking view on power.
Featured stories within the Most Powerful Women package include:
· The World’s Most Powerful Women 2024: Inside The Real Power Shift
· Why Caitlin Clark Is One Of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women In 2024
· Power Rising: These Are The Women To Watch In 2025
· Party Shakeups And Powerful Headwinds Reshaped Female Political Power In 2024
· How The Women On The Forbes Power List Defined 2024
Forbes Unveils Its 21st Annual Ranking of the World’s Most Powerful Women
For the full list of the 2024 100 Most Powerful Women, visit: The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women
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