BRICS by numbers: Global GDP share, trade share, intra-BRICS settlement volumes and NDB disbursements — All you need to know
The 11-member bloc, representing 40 per cent of global GDP, will discuss trade, de-dollarisation, tech and governance reform, with NDB having approved $42.9 billion for 139 projects in 18th BRICS Summit in 2026 .
BRICS Summit 2026
The 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit 2026 is set to be held on September 12 and 13, which will be chaired by India under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability". The wider programme and security arrangements will extend beyond the two-day leaders' meeting, where the delegations will cover several agendas, including concrete cooperation in trade, cross-border payments, supply chains, technology and artificial intelligence, energy, development finance and global governance reform, along with de-dollarisation.
BRICS Global GDP share
BRICS has expanded from a four-nation alliance that represented just over one-fifth of the global economy at the turn of the century into an 11-member bloc that today makes up roughly 40 per cent of global GDP and 49.5 per cent of the world's population, granting it an expanding influence over trade, energy, finance, and the broader economic landscape.
BRICS trade share
Figures presented by the Indian government during its 2026 Brics chairship indicate that the bloc, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Indonesia, also contributes around 26 per cent of global trade. The grouping brings together China and India, two of the world's largest economies and most populous nations; leading energy exporters such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the UAE; and major producers of commodities and agricultural goods like Brazil and Russia.
Intra-BRICS settlement volumes
India's Commerce Secretary noted that merchandise trade within Brics nations surged from $84 billion in 2003 to $1.17 trillion in 2024, a nearly 13-fold increase. These remarks came during the second meeting of the Brics Contact Group on Trade and Economic Issues (CGETI), held in Gandhinagar. Officials pointed out that despite challenges such as protectionism, geopolitical tensions, and supply-chain disruptions, Brics trade growth has outpaced the broader expansion of global trade over the same period. Still, for a bloc that accounts for roughly 40 per cent of global GDP, intra-Brics trade continues to remain comparatively limited.
NDB disbursements
The BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) has approved over $42.9 billion in total financing for approximately 139 infrastructure and sustainable development projects, though actual cumulative disbursements lag behind total approvals. Funds target clean energy generation, water transport, irrigation, environmental efficiency, and social infrastructure.
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