Meet the World's 10 Most Powerful Women Seven of the world's 10 most powerful women are American, according to the Forbes list.

By Lauren Lyons Cole

This story originally appeared on Business Insider

AP/Jens Meyer
Angela Merkel is still the most powerful woman in the world.

Angela Merkel is still the most powerful woman in the world.

The German Chancellor has held the top spot on the Forbes Most Powerful Women List for seven consecutive years, and 12 years in total. Another prominent political leader, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, ranked second. It is her first time appearing on Forbes's annual list.

Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is the highest-ranking American woman, taking the third spot. Seven of the world's 10 most powerful women are American, according to the Forbes list.

Forbes determines its ranking by evaluating four categories: money -- which covers net worth, company revenues, assets under management or GDP -- media presence, influence and impact.

Of the 100 women on the list, nearly half are from the United States. Ivanka Trump, senior adviser to and daughter of President Donald Trump, made the list for the first time, debuting at 19. Democratic candidate in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Hilary Clinton, dropped 63 spots, from second to 65.

Click through to see the 10 most powerful women in the world right now.

Angela Merkel: Chancellor, Germany

Theresa May: Prime Minister, U.K.

Melinda Gates: Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, U.S.

Sheryl Sandberg: COO, Facebook, U.S.

Mary Barra: CEO, General Motors, U.S.

Susan Wojcicki: CEO, YouTube, U.S.

Abigail Johnson: CEO, Fidelity Investments, U.S.

Christine Lagarde: Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, U.S.

Ana Patricia Botín: Chair, Santander Group, Banco Santander, Spain

Ginni Rometty: CEO, IBM, U.S.

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