After admitting 4 new members in 2024, in 2025 BRICS officially welcomed the next member, Indonesia, along with 8 new partner countries: Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan.
With 10 members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia) and 8 partner countries, BRICS now accounts for about half of the global population and more than 41% of the world's GDP in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
BRICS accounts for half of the world's population
With the accession of partner countries, 10 of the world's 20 most populous countries have now become BRICS members/partners. The total population of these countries amounts to about 4 billion people, accounting for nearly half of the global population.
India is the world's most populous country, followed by China. Each of these countries has more than 1.4 billion people. Indonesia, with nearly 290 million people, is the fourth most populous country. Other BRICS countries such as Brazil, Russia, Ethiopia, Egypt and Thailand are also among the world's most populous countries.
BRICS accounts for 41% of global GDP
With the addition of new partner countries, BRICS now accounts for more than 41% of global GDP in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. The founding members of BRICS accounted for 33.76% of world GDP in October 2024, according to IMF data. This means that the current BRICS group has surpassed the G7, the group of the world's largest economies, which accounted for 29.08% of global GDP in the same year.
This shift is largely due to the strong growth of the Chinese economy, which has become the world's sole industrial power, accounting for 35% of global industrial production.
BRICS strategic goods production
One of the key factors that has increased the economic power of BRICS is its ability to produce staples for the global economy. BRICS member states and partners are now world leaders in the production of commodities such as grain, meat, oil, gas and strategic minerals such as iron ore, copper and nickel.
Brazil, India and China account for the majority of global sugarcane, corn and rice production. Meanwhile, China and Brazil account for more than 20% of global chicken, pork and beef production. China also accounts for more than 40% of global pork production.
In addition, BRICS accounts for a large portion of global oil production. Russia, China, Iran, the UAE and Brazil are all major oil producers, while BRICS member countries also play an important role in natural gas and mineral production.
BRICS is heading towards a new world
With its strong expansion, BRICS is not only a powerful economic organization but also creating significant changes in the global economic structure.
The cooperation of populous countries with large economies and strong manufacturing capabilities will create major changes in the way the world economy operates.
If BRICS can coordinate effectively, the organization will play a key role in reshaping the global economic order.
