Kim Kardashian? Taylor Swift? Cristiano Ronaldo? Who were the most influential celebrities on Twitter this year? Between music and movie stars, social media personalities, athletes and politicians, which profession is best represented? A market research firm analysed audience metrics to find out, and the answers may surprise you.

Social media research company Brandwatch has compiled a list of the 50 most influential people on Twitter in 2022. Using its Brandwatch Audiences tool, the company has established an influencer score. This score measures an account's influence over time, based on the actual level of engagement it creates. "While large numbers of followers, retweets, and replies will help, the more influential the people they engage with, the better the score," the company says.

So what did they find? Indias Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, came out on top with this methodology. The politician is very active, posting regularly on social networks, and the most influential on Twitter according to Brandwatch. That said, the Indian Prime Minister is not the most followed on the platform with his 84.7 million followers; he's outstripped by Barack Obama and his 133.2 million followers. Sometimes posting in Gujarati and sometimes in English, Narendra Modi does not only react to political news, but also cultivates real exchanges with internet users. Twitter, and social networks in general, have become a veritable tool for reaching young Indian web users – who also represent a significant number of voters.

Politics gains ground

Modi's ascension to the top, dethroning singer Taylor Swift – who nevertheless has the same influencer score of 97 – puts the growing influence of the politician profession on Twitter into perspective, with 8 per cent of the top 50 influencers ranked in this category. In addition to Barack Obama at number 10 ( down 5 places since 2021), there is also Hillary Clinton at number 19 ( up 6 places), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who makes her debut in the ranking this year at number 37.

It should be noted that the account of Donald Trump, still suspended for the moment, was not counted in the ranking. As well as @FLOTUS, the account of the first lady of the United States, @VP, the account of the vice president, both managed by the White House staff. The former accounts of the 44th and 45th President of the United States, @POTUS44 and @POTUS45, being archived, were also not taken into account.

While politicians may be making strides, "musician" is the most influential profession on Twitter, according to Brandwatch, with 48 per cent of the ranked influencers musicians. Taylor Swift, first in the ranking in 2021, and Katy Perry are respectively second and third on the list.

INext is the profession of television host that counts the most top influencers, with 10 per cent of the 50 influencers in this category.