BRICS and the dragon in the room: How China’s economy dwarfs the rest, in 4 charts

Source: The Indian Express | Original Published At: 2026-09-11 00:30:22 UTC

Key Points

• China's GDP was smaller than the combined GDP of Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa in 2006, but it overtook the combined total by the time of the first BRICS summit in 2009.
• By 2026, China's GDP alone was more than double the combined GDP of the other four original BRICS members.
• India became the second-largest economy among the original BRICS members by 2015, but China's economic rise remained far ahead of all others.
• Since 2009, China's GDP growth has outpaced all G7 economies except the United States.
• In 2006, average citizens in Russia, Brazil and South Africa were significantly richer than average Chinese citizens, but by 2026 China had surpassed Brazil and South Africa in GDP per capita.
• China's GDP per capita is now about five times that of India, up from roughly three times in 2006.
• The article raises the question of whether China's overwhelming economic size will influence BRICS decision-making.