Michelle Obama is the most admired woman in the US

Hillary Clinton has lost her top spot among the women most admired by people in the United States after 17 years to Michelle Obama, according to a new poll by Gallup.

Obama, whose recently published autobiography Becoming is a bestseller, was the choice of 15 percent of 1025 people surveyed, up from 7 percent in 2017.

As first lady she took on a number of causes including an effort to fight obesity among children in the US, calling for healthy eating and exercise.

She has also been a staunch advocate for women's rights, both in and out of the White House.

Earlier this year, Obama was named the world's second-most admired woman, behind Angelina Jolie, in a YouGov poll.

Clinton, a former secretary of state and first lady who lost the 2016 presidential election, was now No.3 on the list published on Thursday, behind entertainment mogul Oprah Winfrey.

On the men's side, Michelle's husband, former president Barack Obama, came in first.

Others who made the list include Melania Trump with 4 percent - the same as Hillary Clinton; Queen Elizabeth and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, both with 2 percent.