PDC Order of Merit
Part of: World Series of Darts
The PDC Order of Merit is the official prize money ranking of the Professional Darts Corporation. It forms the basis for seedings and for qualification to the major tournaments.
As of: October 29, 2026
Key facts
- Introduced: 2007
- Basis: Prize money won
- Scoring period: Rolling two years (104 weeks)
- Current no. 1: Luke Littler
- Organisation: Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)
- Entries: 225 players
- Organisation: PDC
Top 100
Prize money in units of £1,000
About the ranking
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) introduced its world ranking, the "Order of Merit", in 2007. It is based on the prize money a player has won at the ranking tournaments over the past two years. Luke Littler currently tops the list.
The events that count include the World Championship, World Masters, UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, European Championship, Grand Slam of Darts, the Players Championship Finals together with the Players Championships, and the European Tour tournaments.
Not counted, however, are several well-known PDC events, some of them televised, such as the Premier League Darts, the World Cup of Darts, the World Series of Darts events (including the Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Nordic, US, New Zealand and Australian Darts Masters) and the World Series Finals.
Before the 2007 reform, the PDC rankings were based on points. As a result, Colin Lloyd led the list almost continuously in 2005 and 2006, even though most of the major tournaments were won by Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and John Part.
How the ranking works
The Order of Merit is a prize money ranking: it counts the prize money a player wins at the ranking tournaments within a rolling two-year period. A tournament drops out of the ranking exactly 104 weeks after it was played – which means the edition from two years ago can drop out before this year's edition has been played. The only exception: premier tournaments cannot count three times at the same time. Positions determine the seedings and entry rights for the big PDC tournaments. Not all PDC events count towards the Order of Merit – the Premier League, the World Cup of Darts and the World Series of Darts, for example, are not included. Alongside the official ranking there is the Live Order of Merit, which is updated after every match during an ongoing tournament and shows what the ranking will look like at the end of the event; until then it is only a provisional ranking.
FAQ
Who is the number 1 in the darts world ranking?
Luke Littler tops the PDC Order of Merit with £3,141,000 (as of 30 October 2026). He is followed by Gian van Veen (£1,058,750), Luke Humphries (£1,037,500), Gerwyn Price (£829,500) and Jonny Clayton (£716,000).
How is the PDC world ranking calculated?
The PDC Order of Merit is a prize money ranking: it counts the prize money a player has won over the past two years at the ranking tournaments. A tournament drops out of the ranking exactly 104 weeks after it was played.
Which tournaments count towards the Order of Merit?
The tournaments that count towards the PDC Order of Merit are the World Championship, World Masters, UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, European Championship, Grand Slam of Darts, the Players Championship Finals along with the Players Championships, and the European Tour events. Not counted are the Premier League Darts, the World Cup of Darts, the World Series of Darts events (including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Nordic, US, New Zealand and Australian Darts Masters) and the World Series Finals.
Who is the best darts player in the world?
Measured by the prize money won over the past two years, Luke Littler leads the PDC Order of Merit. With £3,141,000 he is well clear of Gian van Veen (£1,058,750) and Luke Humphries (£1,037,500).
When is the darts world ranking updated?
The ranking is continuously updated after the counting tournaments; the version shown here is as of 30 October 2026, last updated after Players Championship 32. The PDC Order of Merit also changes as soon as a tournament drops out of the ranking exactly 104 weeks after it was played.
What is the Live Order of Merit?
The live ranking shows what the ranking will look like at the end of the current tournament: the prize money from the ongoing event is added in after every match, and the money from the tournaments played two years ago has already been deducted. Until the tournament ends, though, this live table is only a provisional ranking.
What does the PDC Order of Merit qualify you for?
Your position in the PDC Order of Merit determines the seedings and the entry rights for the big PDC tournaments.
Who topped the PDC world ranking in the past?
Before Luke Littler, the top of the PDC Order of Merit was held by players including Michael van Gerwen (2014–2020), Gerwyn Price (2021–2022), Peter Wright (2022), Michael Smith (2023) and Luke Humphries (2024–2025). In earlier years, Phil Taylor, Colin Lloyd and Raymond van Barneveld also led the list.