The Recognition Gap

Status and substance are not the same thing. The Power Atlas measures both: what a country has, and what the world treats it as having.

195 states · 1816 to 2026 · Correlates of War, Maddison, site power score · built 2026-09-05

States
195
ranked in 2026
Most under-recognised
+12.8
China
Most over-recognised
-27.3
United States
Tracked since
1816
15 powers with a full series

Today

Points of world power share: positive is mass not yet priced in, negative is status the base does not carry.

How this is measured

Latent material mass minus recognised standing, both as a share of world power in the same year.

Latent power is material mass. Recognised power adds what a state spends, how far it reaches, and the standing it has been granted: a permanent seat, a nuclear arsenal, leadership of a bloc. A country can have one without the other, and the interesting cases are the ones where the two have come apart.

1China+12.8
latent 25.1recognised 12.3power rank 2
2India+7.5
latent 10.9recognised 3.4power rank 8
latent 2.1recognised 0.5power rank 19
4Brazil+1.2
latent 2.1recognised 1.0power rank 11
5Vietnam+1.1
latent 1.3recognised 0.1power rank 38
6Nigeria+1.0
latent 1.1recognised 0.1power rank 48
7Iran+1.0
latent 1.6recognised 0.6power rank 42
latent 1.1recognised 0.1power rank 49
9Turkey+1.0
latent 1.6recognised 0.6power rank 17
10Mexico+0.9
latent 1.4recognised 0.5power rank 14
11Egypt+0.9
latent 1.2recognised 0.3power rank 33
latent 2.3recognised 1.5power rank 15
Show all 195 countries
13Ukraine+0.8
latent 0.9recognised 0.1power rank 50
14Pakistan+0.8
latent 1.9recognised 1.1power rank 40
15Myanmar+0.7
latent 0.8recognised 0.0power rank 84
16Ethiopia+0.7
latent 0.7recognised 0.0power rank 75
latent 1.6recognised 0.9power rank 81
18Thailand+0.7
latent 1.0recognised 0.3power rank 31
latent 0.7recognised 0.1power rank 34
20Congo DR+0.6
latent 0.6recognised 0.0power rank 62
21Sudan+0.5
latent 0.5recognised 0.0power rank 82
latent 0.7recognised 0.2power rank 22
23Colombia+0.4
latent 0.7recognised 0.3power rank 32
24Venezuela+0.4
latent 0.4recognised 0.0power rank 60
25Morocco+0.3
latent 0.4recognised 0.1power rank 54
latent 0.3recognised 0.0power rank 23
27Tanzania+0.3
latent 0.3recognised 0.0power rank 67
latent 0.4recognised 0.1power rank 107
latent 0.3recognised 0.0power rank 55
latent 0.3recognised 0.0power rank 201
latent 0.3recognised 0.0power rank 71
32Sri Lanka+0.3
latent 0.3recognised 0.0power rank 59
33Eritrea+0.3
latent 0.3recognised 0.0power rank 193
34Uganda+0.3
latent 0.3recognised 0.0power rank 123
35Nepal+0.3
latent 0.3recognised 0.0power rank 102
36Kenya+0.3
latent 0.3recognised 0.0power rank 57
37Syria+0.3
latent 0.3recognised 0.0power rank 100
38Angola+0.2
latent 0.3recognised 0.1power rank 103
39Cambodia+0.2
latent 0.2recognised 0.0power rank 72
40Peru+0.2
latent 0.3recognised 0.1power rank 53
41Argentina+0.2
latent 0.5recognised 0.3power rank 27
42Belarus+0.2
latent 0.2recognised 0.0power rank 83
latent 0.2recognised 0.0power rank 118
44Yemen+0.2
latent 0.2recognised 0.0power rank 124
45Ghana+0.2
latent 0.2recognised 0.0power rank 88
46Algeria+0.2
latent 0.5recognised 0.3power rank 68
47Jordan+0.2
latent 0.2recognised 0.0power rank 78
latent 0.2recognised 0.0power rank 114
49Malaysia+0.1
latent 0.4recognised 0.3power rank 24
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 134
51Cameroon+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 94
52Greece+0.1
latent 0.3recognised 0.2power rank 35
53Cuba+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 89
latent 0.2recognised 0.0power rank 61
55Ecuador+0.1
latent 0.2recognised 0.0power rank 70
56Romania+0.1
latent 0.3recognised 0.1power rank 56
57Kuwait+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 65
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 73
59Zimbabwe+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 110
60Guatemala+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 119
61Niger+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 176
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 127
63Slovakia+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 91
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 159
65Chad+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 187
66Zambia+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 129
67Poland+0.1
latent 0.6recognised 0.5power rank 20
68Serbia+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 64
69Rwanda+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 117
70Malawi+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 143
71Bolivia+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 77
72Somalia+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 158
73Senegal+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 112
74Tunisia+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 74
75Bulgaria+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 80
76Mali+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 140
77Burundi+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 179
78Guinea+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 171
79Laos+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 133
80Lebanon+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 95
81Benin+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 177
82Armenia+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 109
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 137
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 136
85Haiti+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 163
86Honduras+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 122
87Chile+0.1
latent 0.2recognised 0.2power rank 45
88Qatar+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.1power rank 51
89Togo+0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 162
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 172
91Nicaragua+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 141
latent 0.2recognised 0.1power rank 44
93Paraguay+0.0
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 104
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 156
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 97
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 165
97Georgia+0.0
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 87
98Uruguay+0.0
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 86
99Hungary+0.0
latent 0.1recognised 0.1power rank 52
100Libya+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 147
101Croatia+0.0
latent 0.1recognised 0.0power rank 76
102Mauritania+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 181
103Lithuania+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 85
104Mongolia+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 170
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 188
106Luxembourg+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 93
107Moldova+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 139
108Congo+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 154
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 149
110Liberia+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 174
111Portugal+0.0
latent 0.1recognised 0.1power rank 28
112Slovenia+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 92
113Albania+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 120
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 125
115Costa Rica+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 90
116Jamaica+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 106
117Bahrain+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 69
118Djibouti+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 155
119Namibia+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 173
120Gabon+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 152
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 202
122Cyprus+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 79
123Kosovo+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 153
124Botswana+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 164
125Lesotho+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 200
126Latvia+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 105
127Gambia+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 195
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 189
129Fiji+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 108
latent 0.1recognised 0.1power rank 43
131Panama+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 63
132Montenegro+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 98
133Guyana+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 166
134East Timor+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 205
135Estonia+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 111
136Brunei+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 157
137Suriname+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 206
138Malta+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 99
139Cape Verde+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 194
140Mauritius+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 115
141Belize+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 207
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 213
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 232
144Iceland+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 113
145Barbados+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 126
146Maldives+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 208
147Bahamas+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 121
148Seychelles+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 130
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 151
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 167
151Grenada+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 168
152Samoa+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 175
153Vanuatu+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 211
154Tonga+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 214
155Kiribati+0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 215
156Monaco0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 96
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 138
158Andorra0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 145
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 146
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 150
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 198
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 217
163Dominica0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 218
164Palau0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 221
165Nauru0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 222
166Tuvalu0.0
latent 0.0recognised 0.0power rank 224
167Eswatini-0.0
latent -0.0recognised 0.0power rank 204
168Bhutan-0.0
latent -0.0recognised 0.0power rank 142
169Comoros-0.0
latent -0.0recognised 0.0power rank 209
latent -0.0recognised 0.0power rank 184
171Singapore-0.0
latent 0.2recognised 0.2power rank 37
172Finland-0.0
latent 0.1recognised 0.2power rank 47
173Taiwan-0.0
latent 0.7recognised 0.7power rank 30
174Austria-0.0
latent 0.2recognised 0.2power rank 26
175Belgium-0.0
latent 0.3recognised 0.3power rank 21
176Iraq-0.0
latent 0.3recognised 0.4power rank 66
177Oman-0.0
latent 0.1recognised 0.2power rank 101
178Ireland-0.1
latent 0.0recognised 0.2power rank 46
179Spain-0.1
latent 0.7recognised 0.8power rank 9
180Denmark-0.1
latent 0.1recognised 0.2power rank 36
181Sweden-0.2
latent 0.2recognised 0.3power rank 29
latent 0.3recognised 0.6power rank 16
latent 0.1recognised 0.5power rank 18
184Norway-0.4
latent 0.1recognised 0.6power rank 41
185Italy-0.7
latent 1.0recognised 1.7power rank 6
186Australia-0.8
latent 0.4recognised 1.2power rank 12
187Canada-0.8
latent 0.7recognised 1.5power rank 10
188Israel-1.0
latent 0.3recognised 1.3power rank 39
latent 0.9recognised 2.1power rank 25
190Japan-1.5
latent 2.9recognised 4.4power rank 7
191Russia-1.8
latent 3.6recognised 5.4power rank 13
192Germany-2.4
latent 1.5recognised 3.9power rank 4
193France-4.9
latent 0.9recognised 5.8power rank 5
latent 0.8recognised 5.9power rank 3
latent 6.8recognised 34.1power rank 1

Since 1816

Every state that has held a top eight place, with its gap in every year it was ranked.

How this is measured

Series start at 1816, where the Correlates of War capability data begins. Earlier Power Atlas years are benchmark-interpolated and carry wide error bars.

An open question, not a findingunresolved

Whether the gap leads war onset is an open question on this site, not a finding. It needs an initiation coding the war dataset does not yet carry.

The obvious thing to ask of this series is whether a wide gap comes before a war. The site holds 623 wars back to 1500 and could join them to this board tomorrow. It will not, yet, for three reasons: the war data records two sides but not who started it, there are no controls for how violent a given era was, and part of the recognised score is a curated status layer assigned with hindsight, which could be circular with war itself. Any of the three is enough to make a result look real when it is not.

When those are resolved the answer goes on the Ledger, with a date, whichever way it comes out.

Sourcesbuilt 2026-09-05
  • Correlates of War NMC v6.0
  • Maddison Project Database 2023
  • site country score and curated status layer