The BRICS bloc was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined the group in 2010. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined in early 2024. Saudi Arabia has also already participated in BRICS meetings, but is not a formal member.
Today the BRICS summit begins with Vladimir Putin as host in Kazan, Russia. The following graph from Statista shows the economic weight of the old and new members of the bloc.
In first place are the two most populated countries in the world. Together, China and India are responsible for around 27% of global GDP (in purchasing power parity) and 16% of global goods exports.
They are followed by Russia and Brazil, two other major economies. The four new ones, on the other hand, represent less than Russia’s gross domestic product. However, they represent almost 10% of the planet’s oil production.