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BRICS quietly grew from 5 countries to 11 – here’s exactly who joined, when, and the one holdout

BRICS quietly grew from 5 countries to 11 - here's exactly who joined, when, and the one holdout
Countries
BrazilChinaEgyptEthiopiaIndiaIndonesiaIranRussiaSaudi ArabiaSouth AfricaUnited Arab Emirates
Cooperation areas
Inclusive MultilateralismInstitutional Development

Source: Business Today | Original Published At: 2026-09-11 12:57:36 UTC

Key Points

  • Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates formally became full BRICS members on January 1, 2024, following invitations issued at the August 2023 Johannesburg summit.
  • Saudi Arabia was invited in 2023 but its officials have said it has not formally accepted, even though Brazil's 2025 and India's 2026 BRICS presidencies have referred to eleven member countries.
  • Indonesia's accession was approved in 2023 but took effect in January 2025, making it the bloc's eleventh and most recent full member.
  • The BRICS partner-country category was created at the October 2024 Kazan summit and initially included nine countries before Vietnam was added as the tenth partner.
  • More than 30 countries have applied or expressed interest in full membership, and expansion decisions are on the agenda for the September 12-13 New Delhi summit.
  • Nigeria is seen as the leading African candidate, while Turkey is seeking Chinese backing for membership.
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