The Miss Universe 2022 coronation night will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States on January 14, 2023. It is the 71st edition of the international beauty pageant headquartered in New York, United States.

This is also the last Miss Universe edition exclusively for women who have never been married and given birth. The competition’s 72nd edition will start welcoming candidates who are married and have children as long as they are 18-28 years old.

Representing India, Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu was 21 when she was crowned Miss Universe 2021 in Eilat, Israel on December 12, 2021. The respective first and second runners-up were Nadia Ferreira, then 22, of Paraguay and Lalela Mswane, then 24, of South Africa.

So far, there are 82 candidates confirmed to compete for the Miss Universe 2022 crown. At this point, I believe these are the 16 strongest candidates:

#16. Alba Isabel Obama (Equatorial Guinea)

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#15. Manita Hang (Cambodia)

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#14. R’Bonney Gabriel (USA)

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#13. Engracia Mofuman (Ghana)

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#12. Ivana Batchelor (Guatemala)

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#11. Sofia Depassier (Chile)

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#10. Hrafnhildur Haraldsdóttir (Iceland)

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#9. Rebeca Rodriguez (Honduras)

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#8. Floriane Bascou (France)

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#7. Montana Felix (Nigeria)

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#6. Anna Sueangam-iam (Thailand)

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#5. Andreína Martínez (Dominican Republic)

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#4. Celeste Cortesi (Philippines)

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#3. Ashley Cariño (Puerto Rico)

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#2. Irma Miranda (Mexico)

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#1. Maxine Formosa (Malta)