1 |
Nuclear Power |
Ultimate destructive capability; deterrence |
US, Russia, China, North Korea |
Nation-States, Military Superpowers |
Nuclear arms development, missile tech, strategic alliances (e.g., NATO nuclear sharing) |
2 |
Economic Power |
Control over trade, markets, and currency |
US Dollar, EU, China (BRI) |
Central Banks, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Trade Blocs |
Monetary policy, sanctions, infrastructure investments (e.g., Belt & Road Initiative) |
3 |
Military Power |
Conventional armed forces & global reach |
US military, NATO, Russian army |
Nation-States, Private Military Companies (PMCs) |
Arms manufacturing, drone warfare, cyberwarfare units (e.g., Wagner Group) |
4 |
Technological Power |
Dominance in AI, chips, cyber, space |
US (Silicon Valley), China (Huawei) |
Tech Giants, State-Backed Research Labs |
R&D investment, patent control, talent acquisition (e.g., TSMC chip dominance) |
5 |
Soft Power |
Cultural influence & diplomacy |
Hollywood, K-pop, Qatar (Al Jazeera) |
Media Conglomerates, Cultural Institutes |
Film/TV exports, music industries, sponsored think tanks (e.g., Confucius Institutes) |
6 |
Energy Power |
Control over oil, gas, renewables |
Saudi Arabia (OPEC), Russia (Gazprom) |
State-Owned Energy Firms, Oil Cartels |
Pipeline control, OPEC+ coordination, green energy monopolies |
7 |
Political Power |
Influence via alliances & institutions |
UN Security Council, EU |
Supernational Bodies, Lobbying Groups |
Diplomatic pressure, veto power, NGO influence (e.g., Open Society Foundations) |
8 |
Demographic Power |
Population size & labor force |
India, Nigeria |
Governments, Megacorps |
Immigration policies, automation, education systems (e.g., China’s STEM push) |
9 |
Information Power |
Media, propaganda, data control |
Google, Meta, X (Twitter) |
Big Tech, Intelligence Agencies |
Data harvesting, censorship tools (e.g., Great Firewall), AI-driven disinformation |
10 |
Criminal Power |
Illicit networks (drugs, cybercrime) |
Sinaloa Cartel, Russian cyber-mafias |
Organized Crime Syndicates, Hacktivists |
Dark web markets, corruption networks, ransomware (e.g., Colonial Pipeline attack) |