David Cameron drops out of Forbes power list top 10, as Vladimir Putin tops the world rankings

David Cameron is no longer considered one of the world's top 10 most powerful people, after dropping out of Forbes magazine's power list.

The Prime Minister's standing on the world stage has diminished, according to the annual ranking of the world's most powerful people, leading him to slip one place from 10th to 11th.

He now sits behind Wal-Mart CEO Michael Duke, but just ahead of the world's richest man Carlos Slim Helu.

Last year's number one Barack Obamawas ousted from the top spot by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

In its profile of Mr Cameron, the magazine said he had been damaged by the row over energy pricesand now had "two years to galvanise the Tory party ahead of a 2015 General Election".

The magazine said: "The Conservative PM guides the world's sixth largest economy and was once hailed as the second coming of Margaret Thatcher. No more.

"He has recently been criticised for a flip-flop approach to green taxes after he pledged to slash the tax on household energy bills amid soaring gas and electricity prices.

"The Oxford graduate and (illegitimate) descendant of King William IV (1830-1837) has fired at the Guardian newspapers and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowdenfor 'making it a lot more difficult to keep our countries and our citizens safe'.

"He has two years to galvanize the Tories ahead of a 2015 general election."

Chinese premier Xi Jinping was at number three in the list, Pope Francis was number fourand German chancellor Angela Merkelwas the top-placed woman at number five.

Microsoft tycoon and philanthropist Bill Gates took the sixth place, US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke was at number seven, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah at eight and European Central Bank president Mario Draghi at nine.

The magazine ranks the 72 people on the list - one for every 100 million people on earth - according to how many people they have power over; the financial resources they control; if they have influence in more than one sphere; and how actively they wield their power to change the world.

The full rankings can be found on the Forbes website.