BRICS Expansion
From BRIC to an 11-Member Grouping
BRICS expanded significantly in the 2020s, moving from a five-member grouping to eleven full members, reflecting the bloc's stated goal of representing the Global South and reforming multilateral governance institutions (UN Security Council, IMF quota reform, World Bank voting shares).
- Full members after successive expansions: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (original five), plus Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE (admitted from 1 January 2024), Indonesia (joined January 2025), and Saudi Arabia (completed membership process, 2025).
- A new "partner country" category was introduced at the 2024 Kazan Summit, including countries such as Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan, with Vietnam added in 2025.
- Expanded BRICS plus partner countries together account for roughly half of the world's population and over 41% of global GDP measured at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).
- Saudi Arabia's membership has been treated cautiously by some members' commentary, given its parallel strategic relationships with Western economies — illustrating the bloc's internal diversity of interests.
● Tracked since May 16, 2026 · last seen September 10, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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