I think it's pretty clear that the Top 5 should be US, China, Russia, Germany, and France/UK. India is not at the same level - and Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Mexico are ranked too high as well. Just like most other non-European countries.
I tend to disagree with you that it is clear what the top five should be. There is massive disagreement on them as is clearly seen by every post above and all the differing, wildly different lists you find when searching up "Most powerful countries".
Also, I'd argue that India, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia are major powers on the world stage, with strong militaries, massive economies, and entire regions of the world where they take precedence. Arguably Nigeria, Indonesia, and Mexico haven't started throwing their weight around yet but their economies, industrial power, demographic strength, and immense soft power within their regions is something that shall be reckoned with very soon.
What about the Netherlands instead? A country with a GDP (1.01 trillion USD) much larger than Turkey's (794 bn), Iran's (682 bn), Nigeria's (514 bn), South Africa's (329 bn), or Pakistan's (306 bn) that has lots(!) of influence in both the EU and the UN, and is home to major global companies such as Shell and Airbus.
Not to be crass, but in my opinion, the Netherlands is rather puny and insignificant compared to the Nigerias of the world, no matter how much influence it may have in the (generally) paper tiger organization of the UN and the shrinking flailing EU and no matter how many multinational corporations who do most of their work in other countries are based there. To top it off, its military is nonexistent.
By the way, I used
PPP GDP while making this list, which narrows the margins quite considerably (Turkey at $2.75 Trillion, Iran at $1.15 Billion, Nigeria at $1.12 Billion, Pakistan at $1.11 Billion, the Netherlands at $1.06 Billion, and South Africa at $753 Million). I believe it more accurately reflects the true economic size and power of nations and when considering the massive undocumented economies in Pakistan, Nigeria etc., these numbers might just be even higher.
The Netherlands is efficient, sure, but after a certain point it cannot hold a candle to 200 Million Brazilians strong who are slowly but surely developing their country, and with their massive industrial power are going to be immensely exporting products, ideas, and culture.
It seems that many countries on this list are just there because of sheer population size or the "emerging power" label. But in reality, their power is extremely limited - bei it diplomatically, economically, financially, or culturally. Being a relatively big fish in a very small pond (i.e., Nigeria) is not tantamount to real power in any meaningful sense.
I argue these countries have massive economic power and massive industry levels, as well as large cultural influence and diplomatic influence, especially in their respective regions. Maybe in the declining, shrinking, militarily and demographically weak Europe they don't have influence, but leave the continent, and you see a much larger world.
Also, Germany is not "falling" and neither is France.
Relative to the world they are. Demographically, economically, militarily, culturally. The United States might be too, it's quite borderline. The global future, though, in my opinion, is more Southern than it is Northern.
But Israel, Brazil, or Saudi Arabia might be.
Perhaps this is true. Only the future will tell.
