German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are the world’s most powerful women, according to Forbes magazine’s annual survey.

The list covers women in fields as diverse as politics, business, media, entertainment and non-profits, their rankings determined by calculating wealth, media presence and overall impact.

The 100-strong list at www.forbes.com/power-women includes 25 CEOs overseeing $984 billion in revenues. The women come from a total of 28 countries, with an average age of 55.

Sixteen women enter the list for the first time, including singer Jennifer Lopez, former U.S. Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, Meg Whitman of HP and Marissa Mayer of Yahoo.

Lady Gaga, the pop singer, makes it to 14 and at 26 years old is the youngest. The oldest, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, who is 86, ranks only at number 26.

Others in the top tier include U.S. first lady Michelle Obama at seven, and Indian President Sonia Gandhi at six. The first female executive editor of The New York Times, Jill Abramson, is at five, while influential philanthropist Melinda Gates is ranked fourth. (AFP)