Votes are in for this year’s most admired women, and influential figures dedicated to social good made the top of the list.
Across the world, people said they look up to Michelle Obama, Angelina Jolie, and Oprah Winfrey the most, according to a new survey.
Market research firm YouGov collected nominations in December 2018 for its annual online poll on the top 20 most admired men and women in different regions. The company then interviewed 42,000 people in 41 countries in January 2019 to compile the list.
The top five most admired women in the world all share a dedication to humanitarianism and philanthropy. Obama, the former first lady of the US, has committed her life to ensuring all children and families have better access to education, nutrition, health, and economic opportunities. Jolie, actress and special envoy for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is using her platform to draw attention to various refugee crises around the world, from Syria to Venezuela. Winfrey continuously contributes generous donations to various causes including natural disaster relief, and education.
Worlds Most Admired 2019. Our annual series, conducted this year in 41 countries, finds the most admired figures are:
— YouGov (@YouGov) July 18, 2019
Woman
1. Michelle Obama (+1)
2. Oprah Winfrey (+1)
3. Angelina Jolie (-2)
Man
1. Bill Gates (-)
2. Barack Obama (-)
3. Jackie Chan (-)https://t.co/hY0K2Vf8F9pic.twitter.com/54m4A3H9hu
Additional women on the list include Queen Elizabeth II, who is a major champion for the environment and civic issues among many other causes, and actress Emma Watson, who is a vocal advocate for women’s rights.
Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner and girls' education activist, placed sixth. Actress and Global Citizen Ambassador Priyanka Chopra — who fights for girls' access to education, especially refugee children and those in conflict areas — came in at No. 14.
Read More: Gates, Jolie, the Obamas: These Are the Most Admired People of 2018
While Obama, Jolie, and Winfrey appeared on YouGov’s previous poll, five new women joined the most admired women list this year: current first lady of the US Melania Trump, singer Peng Liyuan, scientist Tu Youyou, actress Sushmita Sen, and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
Entertainers make up the majority of the most admired women’s list –– 12 are actresses, singers, or TV presenters –– whereas politicians, athletes, and business figures dominate the men’s.
The top five most admired men in the world have remained unchanged since last year’s poll, with Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates ranking first, former US president Barack Obama second, actor Jackie Chan third, politician Xi Jinping fourth, and business mogul Jack Ma fifth.
See the full top 20 lists of most admired men and women around the world:
World’s Most Admired Women 2019
- Michelle Obama
- Oprah Winfrey
- Angelina Jolie
- Queen Elizabeth II
- Emma Watson
- Malala Yousafzai
- Peng Liyuan
- Hillary Clinton
- Tu Youyou
- Taylor Swift
- Madonna
- Angela Merkel
- Deepika Padukone
- Priyanka Chopra
- Ellen Degeneres
- Aishwarya Rai
- Sushmita Sen
- Theresa May
- Melania Trump
- Yang Mi
World’s Most Admired Men 2019
- Bill Gates
- Barack Obama
- Jackie Chan
- Xi Jinping
- Jack Ma
- Narendra Modi
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Dalai Lama
- Lionel Messi
- Vladimir Putin
- Warren Buffett
- Amitabh Bachchan
- Elon Musk
- Donald Trump
- Pope Francis
- Shahrukh Khan
- Imran Khan
- Salman Khan
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- Andy Lau