Forbes 2016 World's Most Powerful People

Every year Forbes publishes a list of nearly 80 people who make the world turn. The annual list is made up of presidents, prime ministers, CEOs, spiritual leaders, and some of the world's richest people. In today's viz, we share the most recent results and some of the underlying data behind the ranking. The information corresponds to the four dimensions Forbes uses to assess candidates:

1. Power over people. Or, the ability to influence lives. This power dimension is inherent to the position of a president, ruling over a country with millions of inhabitants. Spiritual leaders have a similar inherent ability to influence the millions and even billions of believers of a given faith.
2. Financial resources. This dimension includes candidates’ control over financial resources, such as a countries' GDP in the case of heads of state and corporate assets and revenues controlled by heads of corporations.
3. Participation in multiple spheres. Exerting influence across multiple areas—geography, industry, and the like—further distinguishes candidates.
4. Active use of resources. It is not enough to possess or control vast resources. To rank among the most powerful, Forbes examines how effectively an individual exercises those resources.