How does this new emerging geopolitical block compare to the current leaders in economic and political power?
This chart shows how BRICS stacks up against the the G7 by tracking the combined share of the world economy of each block in 2025.
All data is sourced from the International Monetary Fund, last updated in October 2024. The share was calculated from nominal GDP forecasts measured in current USD. Figures are rounded.
The source is missing 2025 GDP estimates for Cuba, a BRICS+ partner nation. Instead, 2020 estimates have been used—the latest available.With 10 members, the BRICS+ bloc accounts for around 29% of the global economy in 2025, which is still dominated by the G7.
| Country | Group | GDP 2025 (USD Billions) |
|---|---|---|
 U.S. |
G7 | $30,337 |
 Germany |
G7 | $4,922 |
 Japan |
G7 | $4,389 |
 UK |
G7 | $3,730 |
 France |
G7 | $3,283 |
 Canada |
G7 | $2,330 |
 Italy |
G7 | $2,460 |
 China |
BRICS | $19,535 |
 India |
BRICS | $4,272 |
 Brazil |
BRICS | $2,307 |
 Russia |
BRICS | $2,196 |
 Indonesia |
BRICS+ | $1,493 |
 UAE |
BRICS+ | $569 |
| World | N/A | $115,494 |
Note: The original name from BRICS came from the initials of its founding members. The larger group with all 10 members is referred to as BRICS+ in this article since no new name has been announced yet.
A quick refresher on who/what BRICS is.The BRICS acronym initially started as a way to signal investment opportunities in fast-growing economies in the 2000s.
Since then, the five founding members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) have tried to create a platform supporting a multipolar world. They’ve prioritized creating global institutions to parallel those funded by primarily G7 countries.
There’s also been talk of BRICS countries establishing a shared currency for trade, abandoning the dollar.
A huge benefit of not using the dollar would be a way to avoid financial sanctions currently curtailing global trade with at least two countries in the bloc—Russia and Iran.
However, a new BRICS currency is unlikely due to the vastly different economic structures of the involved countries. On the other hand, more intra-bloc trade may happen in national currencies.
For example, India has already used its currency (rupees) to buy crude oil from the UAE.
The pitch to join BRICS founding members has been met with mixed results on the world stage. Some countries have jumped on board: including the UAE, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and most recently: Indonesia.
Others have taken a more cautious approach, choosing instead to be a “partner” nation, one step below a full member.
| BRICS Founders | BRICS+ New Members | BRICS+ Partners | Invited to Join BRICS+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil |
UAE |
 Belarus |
 Saudi Arabia (Pending) |
| Russia |
 Iran |
 Bolivia |
 Argentina (Rejected) |
| India |
 Egypt |
 Cuba |
N/A |
| China |
 Ethiopia |
 Kazakhstan |
N/A |
 South Africa |
Indonesia |
 Malaysia |
N/A |
| N/A | N/A |  Thailand |
N/A |
| N/A | N/A |  Uganda |
N/A |
| N/A | N/A |  Uzbekistan |
N/A |
Their caution is not unwarranted. Some, like Vietnam, rely heavily on U.S. trade and would not look to anger their largest export market.
Another key U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia, received an invitation to join BRICS, but has not yet responded. Argentina’s Javier Milei flat out refused to join, wanting closer relations with America.
Credit: Visual Capitalist
