BRICS Members 2026: Complete List of All 11 Countries, Expansion Timeline & GK Guide | EduLaw
EduLaw EditorialAcademicBRICS has grown from four emerging economies to an 11-member powerhouse reshaping global governance. From its 2009 founding in Russia to India hosting the 2026 Summit in New Delhi, here is every fact a general knowledge aspirant needs members, joining years, partner countries, and the institutions that drive this bloc. The EduLaw General Knowledge Aspirants Playbook | BRICS Last updated: September 2026 | By EduLaw Editorial BRICS is no longer the four-country acronym a Goldman Sachs economist coined in 2001. What started as an investment thesis by Jim O'Neill — grouping Brazil, Russia, India, and China as the world's most promising emerging markets — has transformed into the fastest-expanding intergovernmental organisation of the twenty-first century. As India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on 12–13 September 2026 under its fourth chairship, the bloc now counts eleven full members, ten partner countries, and a combined population that exceeds 46 percent of humanity. From BRIC to BRICS: The Founding Years (2006–2011) The political groundwork for BRICS predates the acronym. Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov first floated the idea of a multipolar grouping in the late 1990s, and existing forums such as RIC (Russia–India–China) and IBSA (India–Brazil–South Africa) laid the diplomatic foundation. The foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, and China held their first meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2006. Three years later, the leaders of these four nations convened the 1st BRIC Summit in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on 16 June 2009, in the shadow of the global financial crisis, calling for a more representative international financial architecture. South Africa's inclusion changed the acronym forever. After a formal invitation led by China, South Africa joined on 24 December 2010 and attended the 3rd Summit in Sanya, China, in April 2011 as a full member. The group was rechristened BRICS, and its continental reach now spanned four continents. The Institutional Leap: NDB and CRA (2012–2023) Between 2012 and 2023, BRICS evolved from a consultative club into an institution-building force. The landmark 6th Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, in 2014 saw the signing of agreements establishing the New Development Bank (NDB), headquartered in Shanghai with an authorised capital of USD 100 billion, and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) worth another USD 100 billion. These institutions gave the bloc financial teeth, enabling infrastructure lending to member states and liquidity support during crises independent of Western-dominated bodies such as the IMF and World Bank. By its fifteenth anniversary, BRICS had created nearly sixty intra-group institutions, adopted agendas across more than thirty subjects, and hosted annual summits that rotated across member capitals — building a three-pillar framework of political-security cooperation, economic-financial cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. The Big Expansion: Six New Members (2024–2025) The 15th Summit in Johannesburg in August 2023 was the turning point. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that six countries had been invited to join as full members from 1 January 2024: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Argentina later withdrew after a change in government under President Javier Milei. The remaining five — Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — became full members in January 2024, with Saudi Arabia's formal status attracting some debate in international media, though India's official 2026 BRICS presidency website lists Riyadh as a full member. Indonesia then became the eleventh member on 6 January 2025, formally announced by Brazil's President Lula during his BRICS chairship. Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian nation in the bloc, bringing the world's fourth-largest population and the largest economy in ASEAN into the fold. All 11 BRICS Members at a Glance The complete membership today stands as follows. The five founding and early members are Brazil (joined 2009), Russia (2009), India (2009), China (2009), and South Africa (2010, effective 2011). The 2024 expansion members are Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, all effective from January 2024. Indonesia, the newest entrant, joined in January 2025. Partner Countries: The Next Ring of Influence Beyond full members, BRICS introduced a formal "partner country" category at the 16th Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024. Ten nations entered this tier in 2025: Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Partner status allows these countries to participate in BRICS initiatives and dialogues without the full commitments of membership, effectively creating a waiting room for future expansion. India's 2026 Chairship: What Aspirants Should Know India assumed the BRICS chair on 1 January 2026, its fourth time leading the grou