New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been named the 13th most powerful woman in global politics by Forbes magazine.

Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

Ms Ardern was only just sworn in as prime minister last week, but has already gained a place on Forbes' annual list of 'Women who rule the world' - the 22 most powerful female political leaders in the world right now.

She placed higher than Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who was named at #20.

Forbes noted that Ms Ardern "surged to power in New Zealand on a wave of voter excitement dubbed 'Jacindamania'".

The list was headed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May and Taiwan President Tsa Ing-Wen.

US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka was named at #6 for her role as a senior advisor to her father, while Queen Elizabeth was named the eighth most powerful woman.

Forbes' 22 Most Powerful Women In Politics:

1: Angela Merkel, Chancellor Germany

2: Theresa May, Prime Minister, U.K.

3: Tsa Ing-Wen, President, Taiwan

4: Michelle Bachelet, President, Chile

5: Federica Mogherini, Foreign Policy Chief, European Union

6: Ivanka Trump, Senior Advisor, The White House

7: Ruth Bader Ginsburg/Elena Kagan/Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court Justices

8: Queen Elizabeth II

9: Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Prime Minister, Bangladesh

10: Beata Maria Szydlo, Prime Minister, Poland

11: Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor, Myanmar

12: Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation & Development, U.A.E.

13: Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister, New Zealand

14: Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, President, Croatia

15: Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, U.K.

16: Nikki Haley, Ambassador to United Nations, U.S.

17: Erna Solberg, Prime Minister, Norway

18: Elvira Nabiullina, Governor, Bank of Russia

19: Liyuan Peng, First Lady, China

20: Hillary Clinton, Former Presidential Candidate, U.S.

21: Dalia Grybauskaite, President, Lithuania

22: Kersti Kaljulaid, President, Estonia