President-elect Barack Obama is the man Americans say they admire most in the world, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll published Friday.

Thirty two percent of those questioned said Obama was the man they most admired compared with five per cent for President George W. Bush who came in second. Defeated Republican presidential candidate Sen John McCain came in third with three per cent.

Hillary Rodham Clinton leads the list of most-admired women with 20 per cent, according to the poll. She has held this spot for 13 of the last 16 years, as first lady, then New York senator and now Obama' choice to be secretary of state.

Alaska Gov Sarah Palin, unknown in much of the US until she became the Republican party's vice-presidential candidate in the November elections, was the second most admired woman with 11 per cent. Television talk show host Oprah Winfrey is third with eight per cent.

The only other time a president-elect has led the poll since Gallup began asking in 1948 was in 1952 when Dwight Eisenhower topped the list. Obama takes office Jan 20.

The survey of 1,008 adults, taken by landline and cellphone Dec 12-14, has an error margin of plus or minus three per cent.