BRICS is a grouping of the world economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa formed by the 2010 addition of South Africa to the predecessor BRIC.[1][2][3][4] The original acronym "BRIC", or "the BRICs", was coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill to describe fast-growing economies that he predicted would collectively dominate the global economy by 2050.[5] The 15th BRICS summit in 2023 saw the expansion of the organization for the first time since the inclusion of South Africa.
Countries that have applied for membership
Saudi Arabia was invited to join at the 15th BRICS summit, but has not yet formalised its approval to become a BRICS member.[9]
While Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates were not admitted as members during the 15th BRICS summit, they were among 22 countries applying for membership. South African Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana said “There is a second batch of countries that are going to be added [to] BRICS." This means that there are plans for further BRICS expansion and the following countries are possible candidates due to their applications for membership [10]
Flag |
Country
|
Capital
|
Area (km2)
|
Population (2016)
|
Density (/km2)
|
GDP per cap. (PPP)[6] |
HDI[7] |
Currency
|
Official languages |
Leaders |
Application Submitted when
|
|
Algeria People's Democratic Republic of Algeria |
Algiers |
2,381,741 |
c44,700,000 |
17.7 |
13,324 |
0.745 |
Algerian dinar (DZD) |
Arabic |
Head of State: Abdelmadjid Tebboune Head of Government: Nadir Larbaoui |
2022 (Expected to join in next expansion)[10]
|
|
Bahrain Kingdom of Bahrain |
Manama |
780 |
1,504,365 |
1,864 |
60,596 |
0.875 |
Bahraini dinar (BHD) |
Arabic |
Head of State: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Head of Government: Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa |
|
|
Bangladesh People's Republic of Bangladesh |
Dhaka |
148,460 |
c169,828,911 |
1,305 |
8,673 |
0.661 |
Bangladeshi taka (BDT) |
Bengali |
Head of State and Government: Mohammed Shahabuddin |
2023
|
|
Belarus Republic of Belarus |
Minsk |
207,595 |
c9,498,700 |
45.8 |
18,246 |
0.798 |
Belarusian rubel (Rbl) (BYR) |
Belarusian Russian |
Head of State: Alexander Lukashenko Head of Government: Roman Golovchenko |
2023
|
|
Bolivia Plurinational State of Bolivia |
Sucre |
1,098,581 |
c12,186,079 |
10.4 |
9,933 |
0.692 |
Boliviano (BOB) |
Spanish Quechua Aymara Guarani Other Indigenous languages |
Head of State and Government: Luis Arce |
2023
|
|
Cuba Republic of Cuba |
Havana |
109,884 |
d10,985,974 |
101.8 |
22,237 |
0.764 |
Cuban peso (CUP) |
Spanish |
Head of State: Miguel Díaz-Canel Head of Government: Manuel Marrero Cruz |
2023
|
|
Kazakhstan Republic of Kazakhstan |
Astana |
2,724,900 |
d17,670,900 |
5.94 |
24,108 |
0.788 |
Kazakhstani tenge (₸) (KZT) |
Kazakh (National) Russian |
Head of State: Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Head of Government: Alihan Smaiylov |
2023
|
|
Kuwait State of Kuwait |
Kuwait City |
17,818 |
c4,294,621 |
200.2 |
38,123 |
0.831 |
Kuwaiti dinar |
Arabic |
Head of State: Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Head of Government: Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah |
2023
|
|
Palestine State of Palestine |
Jerusalem (limited recognition, controlled in practice and annexed by Israel)[c] Ramallah |
6,020[11] |
c5,483,450 |
731 |
6,354 |
0.708 |
|
Arabic |
Head of State: Mahmoud Abbas Head of Government: Mohammad Mustafa |
2023
|
|
Senegal Republic of Senegal |
Dakar |
196,712 |
d18,384,660 |
68.7 |
4,113 |
0.511 |
West African CFA franc (XOF) |
Wolof[d] French Pulaar |
Head of State: Macky Sall Head of Government: Amadou Ba |
2023
|
|
Thailand Kingdom of Thailand |
Bangkok |
513,120 |
c64,785,909 |
132.1 |
22,675 |
0.800 |
Baht (฿) (THB) |
Thai |
Head of State and Government: Srettha Thavisin |
|
|
Venezuela Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela |
Caracas |
916,445 |
d30,518,260 |
33.74 |
7,108 |
0.691 |
Venezuelan bolívar |
Spanish |
Head of State and Government: Nicolás Maduro |
2023
|
|
Vietnam Socialist Republic of Vietnam |
Hanoi |
128,069 |
c96,208,984 |
295 |
14,458 |
0.703 |
Vietnamese đồng (₫) (VND) |
Vietnamese |
Head of State: Nguyễn Phú Trọng (as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam) Võ Văn Thưởng (as President) Head of Government: Phạm Minh Chính |
2023
|
Previous applicants
In 2022, Argentina formally submitted an application for BRICS membership under Alberto Fernández's government. Argentina was invited to join at the subsequent 2023 summit, but the country declined the offer to join the bloc in the aftermath of Javier Milei's victory in that year's presidential election.[14]
In 2011, Indonesia considered the possibility of joining BRICS. In 2022 the country formally submitted an application, but Indonesian president Joko Widodo decided to not join the group and remove the application because it was considered a rushed decision. Widodo said that in a future he would probably reapply, but Indonesia is out for now.[15]