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What is BRICS? Members, GDP, Power & Role in Global Politics in 2025

BRICS, also known as BRICS+, is an intergovernmental organization comprising 10 countries as of 2025 and few more have applied for its membership. It was originally founded by five major emerging economies—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. These are known as the founding members. Over time, five additional countries have joined, expanding the group into BRICS+.

BRICS was officially established on January 16, 2009, in Russia, with the aim of promoting economic cooperation, political dialogue, and the reform of global institutions. Over the years, it has evolved into a powerful bloc in global geopolitics, increasingly positioning itself as an alternative to Western-dominated platforms such as the G7.

Members

BRIC was established in 2009 as a group of four major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. In 2010, South Africa officially joined the group, expanding it into BRICS.

Brics Members MAP

Read also: G7 Explained: Members, Role, and Global Importance

Founding Members

  1. Brazil
  2. Russia
  3. India
  4. China
  5. South Africa

New Members

  1. Egypt (2024)
  2. UAE (2024)
  3. Ethiopia (2024)
  4. Iran(2024)
  5. Indonesia(2025)

It is a forum for cooperation among a group of leading emerging economies.

  • BRICS Member’s
  • Total GDP- $30.82 trillion
  • Total Population – 3.98 billion

BRICS+ Countries Population and GDP

S.N.CountriesGDP (USD)Population
1China19.23 Trillion1.41 billion
2India4.19 Trillion1.44 billion
3Brazil2.13 Trillion211 million
4Russia2.08 Trillion143 million
5Indonesia1.43 Trillion281 million
6UAE548 billion10 million
7South Africa410 billion63 million
8Egypt347 billion114 million
9Iran341 billion98 million
10Ethiopia117 billion128 million
Total30.82 Trillion3.89 Billion

BRICS GDP Share

BRICS GDP Pie chart
Country% of Total GDP
China62.4%
India13.6%
Brazil6.9%
Russia6.7%
Indonesia4.6%
UAE1.8%
South Africa1.3%
Egypt1.1%
Iran1.1%
Ethiopia0.4%
Total100%

Population share of BRICS+

BRICS Population pi chart
Country% of Total Population
China36.2%
India37.0%
Brazil5.4%
Russia3.7%
Indonesia7.2%
UAE0.3%
South Africa1.6%
Egypt2.9%
Iran2.5%
Ethiopia3.3%
Total100%

Summits

BRICS has held annual summits since 2009, starting in Russia. Since then, all member countries have taken turns hosting. The latest summit was held in Russia, and the next is scheduled to be hosted by Brazil.

Summit No. Year Host CountryHost CityKey Highlights
12009RussiaYekaterinburgFormal founding of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China)
22010BrazilBrasíliaSouth Africa invited to join; BRIC → BRICS
32011ChinaSanyaSouth Africa participated for the first time
42012IndiaNew DelhiDiscussion on global governance reforms
52013South AfricaDurbanAgreed to establish a BRICS Development Bank
62014BrazilFortalezaOfficial launch of the New Development Bank (NDB)
72015RussiaUfaEmphasis on energy cooperation, BRICS economic strategy
82016IndiaGoaCounter-terrorism and economic cooperation focus
92017ChinaXiamenBRICS+ concept discussed, cooperation with other nations
102018South AfricaJohannesburgBRICS Partnership on the Fourth Industrial Revolution
112019BrazilBrasíliaStrengthening intra-BRICS cooperation
122020Russia (virtual)St. Petersburg (Virtual)COVID-19 response, multilateralism focus
132021India (virtual)New Delhi (Virtual)Digital health, counter-terrorism
142022China (virtual)Beijing (Virtual)Common Development, BRICS Expansion talks
152023South AfricaJohannesburg6 New Countries Invited: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE
162024RussiaKazanNew Payment system alternative of USD
172025BrazilRio de Janeiro

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