The most admired people in the world

ReutersAngelina Jolie is the most admired woman in the world.Admirable people can be world leaders, humanitarians, or movie stars. The common thread is that they're often making a difference in the world.

International market research firm YouGov conducted a global poll people in 34 countries to come up with the most admired people in the world.

YouGov gathered open-ended nominations in December, used these to compile a list of 25 men and 25 women, and polled people again to choose who they admire most from the two lists.

The most admired man on the list is Bill Gates, followed by US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Gates, known first for co-founding Microsoft, is better known these days for his philanthropic Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports initiatives in education, world health, and poverty. In 2014, Gates noted breakthroughs in particular on the global health front, especially when it comes to access to vaccinations and health care. He's also changing the way high school history classes are taught with the holistic, multi-disciplined Big History curriculum which enriches student learning of history beyond the typical chronological method.

The most admired woman is Angelina Jolie, followed by Malala Yousafzai, and Hillary Clinton.

In 2014 Jolie began moving away from acting and toward writing and directing, as well as work in the humanitarian field. A UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) special envoy, Jolie was honored in June by Queen Elizabeth II as an honorary dame for her PSVI campaign against sexual violence. A political career may be in her future, as she revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair that she's very "open" to the idea.

See the graphic below for the full list of the world's most admired men and women (click to enlarge):