GLOBAL SUPERPOWERS
superpower, a state that possesses military or economic might, or both,
and general influence vastly superior to that of other states. A country
that has an advantage in the four axes of power: military, economic,
politics, and culture.
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• ECONOMIC
With only 5% of the world’s population it accounts for 25% of global wealth and
35% of world innovation.
50 of the top 100 universities are located in the USA -> universities like Harvard,
MIT or Stanford are known for research that drives economic innovation.
It is home to almost 600 of the world’s 2000 most profitable companies
GDP per capita: $74.554 (8th in the world)
GDP (nominal): 25.43 trillion (1st in the world) -> it represents about a quarter of
the world’s total economic output
Export: $3.052 trillion (2nd in the world)
The country’s significant exports include computers and electrical machinery,
vehicles, chemical products, food, live animals and military equipment.
Import: $3.832 trillion (1st in the world)
Over 80% of global trade is conducted in U.S. dollars – it further reinforces the
U.S.’s role in shaping global trade
The U.S. military budget for 2023 was approximately $886 billion, which is about
40% of global military expenses - The United States spends more on defense than
the next nine highest-spending countries (China, India, Russia, the U.K., Saudi
Arabia, Germany, France, Japan, and South Korea) combined
The U.S. has significant natural resources: It is the world’s leading producer (country)
of both oil and natural gas and has the world’s largest coal reserves. America’s
reserves mean the country has cheap and easy access to the resources needed to power
its economy. It also decreases American dependence on other countries.
• CULTURAL
WHY IS CULTURAL INFLUENCE IMPORTANT?
By having its culture consumed the world over, America creates an affinity with people in
almost every country. People feel they have an understanding of America through its culture.
Promotion of a country’s culture is seen as a key ‘soft power’ tool – and the United States is a
world leader in promoting its culture around the world. Not only does having American
culture consumed globally add to America’s power in the world, it also makes US companies
enormous sums of money. This further adds to the strength of the US.
Over two billion people speak some English in the world today with the majority
speaking an Americanised version of the language.
World’s biggest (with highest number of locations) food chains in the world are
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US universities dominate world rankings (in the top ten Universities in the world
7 are in USA- MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, California Institute of
Technology, Berkley University of California, Yale University) (source: Times
Higher Education; 2024 ranking; World University Rankings 2024 | Times Higher
Education (THE) )
America accounts for 45 per cent of art sales by value, according to UBS, which is
more than Britain and China, the next two markets, combined. (Janan Ganesh,
December 19 2023, Financial Times )
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Most of the most popular social media are owned and created by Americans:
Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook Messanger, Snapchat,
Twitter and Pinterest. That’s 8 out of 15 included in the ranking (Statista 2024).
That’s about 53,(3)%. Tik Tok, WeChat , Douyin, Kuaishou, Weibo and QQ are
Chinese (although some could argue that with TikTok the matter is more
complicated as it’s officially banned in China). Telegram is Russian. To sum up: 8
out of 15 social media included in the ranking (Statista 2024) are American (about
53.(3)%). 6 out of 15 are Chinese- that's about 40% and 1 out of 15 is Russian:
about 6.(6)%. Therefore, USA is definitely the pioneer in that field.
• DEMOGRAPHIC
America is the third most populous country in the world. It has 345
million people. Having a large population helps a country enormously.
It allows it to create a bigger economy, have a larger army and have a
more productive workforce.
The large size of the US population ensures that America’s economy
remains dynamic and innovative and this directly relates to America’s
international power.
As well as having a large population, the United States has several
large global cities. New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago
and Houston are all major world cities. America has ten cities with
populations over a million people. Having a large population,
combined with a range of major cities that are linked to the wider
global economy, are major factors in America’s success as a country
and its current position as global leader.
• GEOPOLITICS
USA is the fourth largest country in the world. Larger countries are generally
more powerful. They have more people, are easier to defend, have more resources
and are better able to yield influence over smaller countries in their region.
The United States is the among the largest countries in the Western Hemisphere
and this is a key reason for its strength as a nation.
Economists have shown that being a larger country is beneficial for a nation. It
reduces a countries reliance on external trade and business as more can be
produced within its borders. Larger countries are also subjected less to foreign
aggression.
Militarily, the US remains the world’s only superpower. Although the US does not
spend the most in the world on defense as a proportion of GDP (3.7%), in absolute
terms it spends vastly more than any other country. In 2020, they spent $778
billion. Over one third (39%) of the total world’s defense spending is by the US
alone.
The US is one of the leading countries of the NATO alliance. This provides
mutual protection for the United States and Canada and many countries in
Europe. America also has key alliances in the Far East, including Japan, South
Korea and Taiwan. Across the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the
Pacific, many major countries are also allied to the United States.
Having alliances allows America to be seen as a guarantor of much of the
current international order. Huge numbers of countries owe their security to
America, and many more look to the United States for leadership on the world
stage.
E.g. Taiwan treaty 1978; US supplying Israel with weapons
• ENVIRONMENTAL
E.g. The WIlow project- ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project is a massive and
decadeslong oil drilling venture on Alaska’s North Slope in the National
Petroleum Reserve, which is owned by the federal government.
The Biden administration acknowledges that Willow, if completed, would
release an additional 9.2 million metric tons of carbon pollution into the
atmosphere each year—roughly equivalent to the pollution generated by two
million gas-powered cars.
2. CHINA
• ECONOMY
One of the world’s top two economies; sustained growth due to export
relations, its manufacturing sector, and low-wage workers;
China is quickly developing much of the intellectual property in new
industries such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, and advanced
manufacturing.
China is the world's second largest economy by nominal GDP, behind the
United States- 17.794.78 billion US dollars in 2023
China has the world's largest foreign-exchange reserves worth $3.1 trillion.
China has bilateral free trade agreements with many nations and is a member
of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Of the world's 500 largest companies, 142 are headquartered in China.
It has four of the world's top ten most competitive financial centers and three
of the world's ten largest stock exchanges (both by market capitalization and
by trade volume).
China’s influence in international trade has grown substantially, now being the
top trading partner for 120 countries worldwide.
MOST MONEY COMES FROM EXPORT
• CULTURAL
Chinese social media platforms such as TikTok have become global
phenomena, significantly impacting youth culture worldwide. The app’s
format and algorithmic model have influenced content creation trends and
social media use globally. The app has an estimated number of a billion
monthly active worldwide users, making it the number one social media
app in the world.
China’s rich historical heritage, from the Great Wall to ancient
philosophies, continues to influence global culture. Chinese New Year and
other traditional festivals are celebrated not only in China but also in many
other countries. Its neighbors, especially Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, have
adopted various Chinese traditions throughout their histories. Chinese New
Year is celebrated by 20% of the world's population
About 1.4 billion people worldwide speak Chinese as their mother tongue
and there are approximately 100 million people learning Chinese
worldwide.
The Chinese cuisine is one of the most popular in the world- due to the
The Bucket List Company Ranking, which has looked at levels of
engagement on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and
Reddit, it’s the sixthmost popular cuisine worldwide. The eventual ranking
wasn’t just based on the number of tags for each cuisine but the amount of
positive interaction.
China is the second largest film market in the world after the United
States.
China is focusing on becoming a leader in key technologies like AI, 5G,
and renewable energy.
• GEOPOLITICS
There is no official information on China’s military budget
China has world’s largest military with the highest number of active
personnel.
China is modernizing its military and increasing cyber warfare capabilities. It
is estimated that China has 500 warheads and will have an estimated 1000 by
the year 2030 (A warhead is the section of a device that contains the explosive
agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a
missile, rocket, torpedo, or bomb.)
It is a member of BRICS group- BRICS- stands for Brazil, Russia, India,
China, and South Africa, are an informal grouping of emerging economies
hoping to increase their sway in the global order. Established in 2009, BRICS
was founded on the premise that international institutions were overly
dominated by Western powers and had ceased to serve developing countries.
The bloc has sought to coordinate its members’ economic and diplomatic
policies, found new financial institutions, and reduce dependence on the U.S.
dollar. BRICS countries seek to build an alternative to what they see as the
dominance of the Western viewpoint in major multilateral groupings, such as
the World Bank, the Group of Seven (G7), and the UN Security Council.
• DEMOGRAPHIC
China is home to almost a fifth of the world’s population- about 1.418 billion
people; However, the fertility rate is declining and so we have aging society :In
2022, there was just 6.77 births per 1,000 people in China, the lowest birth rate
on record and down from 7.52 births in the previous year.
China is home to 17 of the world’s megacities, and China has
• ENVIRONMENTAL
The country remains the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, a
greenhouse gas implicated in global warming, accounting for 31 per cent of
global emissions in 2022 — more than double America’s 13.6 per cent. Its
progress towards a green transformation is therefore of vital importance.
BUT: China may be the biggest emitter overall, but the average American is
responsible for nearly twice as much climate pollution as the average person in
China.
China’s share of renewable energy capacity — mostly solar, wind and hydro
reached about 50 per cent of its total generation capacity in 2023. Renewables’
installed capacity surpassed that of coal power for the first time, according to
Xinhua, China’s official news agency.
The US and European countries risk becoming overly reliant on a strategic rival
for some key renewable technologies.
On almost every green technology, China has the lead: it’s the world’s largest
maker of solar panels, batteries, electric cars and even hydrogen-producing
electrolyzers.
• WHY CHNA MIGHT NOT BE A SUPERPOWER?
low GDP per capita: Per capita GDP in China was estimated at around 12,500
U.S. dollars in 2023, slightly below the average level in East Asia and Pacific.
To compare, USA GDP per capita was 65020.35 US dollars in the same year.
GDP per capita is a parameter that measures the economic prosperity of the
citizens of a country by dividing the GDP with the total population of that
country. It shows the purchasing power of an individual and how much
economic production is being assigned to every citizen. At its most basic
interpretation, per capita GDP shows how much economic production value can
be attributed to each individual citizen.
Its population is large, but rapidly aging and highly undereducated, with more
than 2/3 of its workers lacking a high-school education; The sheer number of
Chinese citizens puts a constant strain on the country's resources, and pollution
and malnutrition are ongoing concerns.
The Chinese government is also often cited as a hindrance to growth due to its
deep corruption and willingness to sacrifice economic growth and the personal
advancement of its citizens in order to maintain control.
3. RUSSIA
• ECONOMIC
Russia is one of the world's leading suppliers of oil, natural gas, and wheat, which
are major contributors to its GDP and export earnings. This reliance makes its
economy vulnerable to fluctuations in global commodity prices.
Nominal GDP of USD 2,012 billion in 2023 (Russia is the 14th country in the world
by GDP)
GDP per capita 13817 USD in 2023
Russia is the third-largest producer of oil worldwide, accounting for over 12 percent
of global crude oil production.
It’s the 3rd biggest oil producer.
BUT: while the country boasts immense wealth in natural resources, its economy
faces structural weaknesses that make it highly vulnerable to external shocks,
including fluctuating global commodity prices and international sanctions.
• CULTURE
Russia has produced some of the world’s most iconic writers, artists, and musicians.
Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, and Anton Chekhov
In the field of classical music, Russia has produced composers such as Pyotr Ilyich
Tchaikovsky, Igor Stravinsky, and Sergei Rachmaninoff, whose works are
performed in concert halls across the globe.
The Bolshoi Ballet and the Mariinsky Theatre are world-famous institutions that
continue to attract global audiences with their performances of ballet and opera.
Russia’s cultural power, or soft power, is deeply rooted in its history, literature (e.g.
Dostojewski or Bułhakow), art, and music. Russian culture has left an indelible
mark on global civilization, with a rich heritage that continues to influence the
world today. Russia also uses cultural diplomacy as a way to project its influence,
particularly in the post-Soviet states and developing countries.
Russian universities attract students from across Asia, Africa, and Latin America,
many of whom return home with favorable views of Russia.
Russia’s cultural influence also extends to sports, with the country hosting major
international events like the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2014 Winter Olympics
in Sochi. These events serve as opportunities for Russia to showcase its
infrastructure and organizational capabilities on the world stage.
Russian media, particularly RT (Russia Today) and Sputnik News, are tools of
soft power that the government uses to project its narrative and influence
international audiences. RT broadcasts in multiple languages, including English,
Arabic, Spanish, and French, and provides a Russian perspective on global events.
While these media outlets have been criticized for promoting disinformation and
serving as propaganda arms of the Kremlin, they remain influential in shaping
global perceptions of Russia, particularly in non-Western countries.
BUT: Russia’s cultural power is significant, but it is not without challenges. The
country’s reputation has been tarnished by geopolitical conflicts, such as its
annexation of Crimea, its military involvement in Ukraine, and allegations of
interference in foreign elections. These actions have led to sanctions and
diplomatic isolation from the West, which in turn has limited the reach of Russia’s
soft power in certain regions.
Additionally, internal challenges such as censorship, government control over the
arts, and restrictions on free expression have undermined Russia’s image as a
beacon of cultural and intellectual freedom. Despite these issues, Russia’s rich
cultural heritage continues to play a central role in its global identity.
• GEOPOLITICS
In response to growing Western sanctions, Russia has increasingly turned to China
as a key economic partner. Trade between the two countries has expanded
significantly, with Russia exporting energy resources to China and importing goods
such as electronics, machinery, and consumer products. This growing partnership
reflects Russia’s broader pivot toward Asia as it seeks to diversify its trade relations
away from the West.
Russia has forged economic ties with other countries in Asia, the Middle East, and
Africa, positioning itself as an alternative energy supplier and a player in emerging
markets.
Russia’s involvement in international organizations such as BRICS (Brazil, Russia,
India, China, and South Africa) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is aimed
at furthering its economic influence and fostering regional integration.
The lead country in the CSTO – Collective Security Treaty Organization.
Essentially, intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of six post-
Soviet states, made up of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and
Kyrgyzstan. As a lead nation in a major military alliance, Russia is seen a significant
power in the world.
As of 2024, it ranks fourth by active military personnel, which stands at 1.32
million, following China, India, and the United States.
Huge amount of nuclear weapons- about 6000 (there’s about 13000 around the
world, about 5500 is owned by the US)
BUT: Despite its impressive military capabilities, Russia faces several challenges.
The modernization of its armed forces has been hindered by economic sanctions,
which limit access to advanced technology and financing. Additionally, Russia’s
military operations in Ukraine and Syria have strained its resources, both financially
and logistically.
• DEMOGRAPHIC
144 million people live in Russia, making it the most populous country in Europe
and the ninth most populous country in the world.
Russia is the largest country in the world by area (around 17 million square km)
There are 14 countries that border Russia. It lies on two continents. Russia is both
a major European and Asian power. This makes it significant globally.
BUT: Russia faces advanced population aging, along with declining fertility and
mortality in the decades ahead.
