The Foundation for National Security Research, a think tank based in New Delhi, has compiled a worldwide power index by country. The index takes into account various factors such as population, technological abilities, energy security and defence, and includes 27 countries that have made the list of the most powerful countries in the world.
The criteria for the power rankings are based on three main factors; the defence expenditure in excess of US$5 billion, GDP greater than US$500 billion and population over 50 million.
Predictably, the United States takes first place. China comes in second, but is far behind the US in terms of its economic and military swagger. Japan falls into fifth place overall, ranking third for its economic capability but 25th for energy security. India ranks eighth on the grand scale, and holds the seventh position on military capability. It drops to 20th in terms of energy security. The Republic of Korea is the next Asian country on the list, weighing in at 11th overall. Indonesia ranks 21st, followed by Pakistan and Vietnam in the 22nd and 25th positions respectively.
China predictably ranks first for population resources, followed closely by India. However, China scores full marks for its ability to form an educated labour force, while India falls far behind in 16th place. Despite both nations having large populations, in terms of manpower, China scores 100, which places it quite a bit above India’s 87.5. – Anjali Menon
