A week into the job and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has already rocketed into the Forbes list of the most powerful women in the political world.

She's ranked at 13 in the list of 22 women, ahead of Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at 15 and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at 20.

The magazine highlighted Ms Ardern's status as the world's youngest female leader and the 'Jacindamania' around her surge to power.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped the list, followed by British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Ivanka Trump came in at number six for her role as a White House advisor to her father, US President Donald Trump.

The Queen came in at number eight.

In Forbes' wider list of the world's most powerful women, Ms Ardern, 37, was ranked 38th.

Former New Zealand prime minister and UNDP administrator Helen Clark, who was ranked 22nd last year, has dropped off the list entirely.

MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN WORLD POLITICS:

1 - Angela Merkel, Chancellor, Germany
2 - Theresa May, Prime Minister, UK
3 - Tsa Ing-Wen, President, Taiwan
4 - Michelle Bachelet, President, Chile
5 - Federica Moherini, Foreign Policy Chief, European Union
6 - Ivanka Trump, White House Senior Advisor, USA
7 - Ruth Bader Ginsberg/Elena Kagan/Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court Justices, USA
8 - Queen Eliabeth II
9 - Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Prime Minister, Bangladesh
10 - Beata Maria Szydlo, Prie Minister, Poland
13 - Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister, New Zealand
15 - Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister, Scotland
20 - Hillary Clinton, former presidential candidate, USA.
(Source: Forbes)