What Has BRICS Really Achieved? A Data-Driven Look

From trade and tech to sustainability and global influence, discover what BRICS has accomplished and why it matters today.

When you hear about BRICS, what comes to mind? Perhaps it's a political bloc, or maybe just a group of large emerging economies. But the reality, as detailed in a report by the BRICS Expert Council – Russia with support from the BRICS Think Tanks Council (BTTC), shows a story of tangible progress across numerous critical areas.

Our focus today is answering the question: "What have the BRICS achieved so far?"

We're going to look past the headlines and dive into the data and specific initiatives outlined in the sources. We will explore their advancements in economics and trade, sustainable development, and humanitarian cooperation, drawing directly from expert analysis. By the end of this, you'll have a clearer, data-backed understanding of BRICS' journey and its growing global footprint.

Let's start with the economic foundation, where BRICS has shown remarkable strength. Over the past three decades, the BRICS 5 nations have consistently grown faster than the global average. This consistent outperformance is a key driver for the group.

Their collective weight in the global economy has increased significantly. According to UNCTAD and the World Bank, the BRICS countries' share of global GDP rose from 18% in 2010 to 26% in 2022. Measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), the share of the BRICS 5 increased from 20.8% in 2005 to 32.2% in 2023. This trend is expected to continue, reaching 38.3% by 2029 for the expanded BRICS 10.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows tell a similar story. Annual FDI inflows to BRICS countries surged more than fourfold from 2001 to 2021, rising from USD 84 billion to USD 357 billion. The group's share of global FDI inflows also doubled from 11% to 22% in that period, reaching 24% by 2022. While individual country dynamics varied, with some facing slowdowns or negative growth in certain periods like 2011-2021, their collective performance often outpaced the global average during those times. The BRICS countries are now significant players not only as recipients but also as investors.

The New Development Bank (NDB), established in 2013 with a mandate to finance sustainable development projects, is a concrete example of their cooperation in this area. Intergovernmental initiatives within BRICS also play a role in protecting members' economic interests amidst global volatility. These initiatives support businesses and facilitate investment activities.

Moving beyond overall economic weight, intra-BRICS trade shows significant potential. Intra-BRICS trade has grown faster than the total trade expansion of the member nations and even global trade. This indicates substantial potential for further mutual trade enhancement. China holds a central role, while India is also significant. The Exporting Partner Significance Index (EPSI) helps analyze these relationships, showing the interest levels of countries in exporting to specific partners. An EPSI value of 1 signifies a sufficient level of export orientation, with higher values indicating stronger interest.

Analysis using EPSI from 2005 to 2022 reveals growing export significance between several pairs. For instance, Russia's EPSI grew for China (0.68 in 2009 to 1.15 in 2021) and Brazil (0.33 to 1.08), surpassing the significance level. China's EPSI has consistently grown for most original BRICS partners, including Russia (1.52 in 2021), Brazil (1.56 in 2022), and South Africa (1.49 in 2022). India shows a strong EPSI with South Africa (4.03 in 2022) and Brazil (1.95 in 2022). China is Brazil's most significant export partner within BRICS, with an EPSI of 2.44 in 2022. India is South Africa's most significant, with an EPSI of 1.4 in 2022.

The EPSI analysis highlights opportunities to strengthen bilateral trade, such as between Russia and India, Russia and South Africa, and Brazil and South Africa. Specific recommendations include bolstering exports from India to China, Brazil to Russia and India, and South Africa to China. A positive trend in using national currencies for settlements is noted, enhancing the security of economic cooperation. Leaders have tasked finance ministers to consider local currencies, payment instruments, and platforms. This aligns with efforts to develop economic and financial architecture not reliant on Western systems.

In the realm of Sustainable Development and Resource Abundance, BRICS has made significant strides. Commitment to sustainable development and achieving goals like the Millennium Development Goals and later the SDGs has been consistently emphasized since 2009. By 2024, BRICS countries rank among leading developing economies in SDG progress. India and Ethiopia show particularly notable advancement since 2009, while Russia holds a strong position with high levels across many indicators. They also assess progress using Adjusted Net Savings, though a noticeable decline in the ANS rate highlights challenges in growth quality.

Practical cooperation mechanisms have been established. The BRICS Environmentally Sound Technology (BEST) Cooperation Platform, created in 2018, facilitates knowledge exchange. The BRICS Clean Rivers program is one initiative under this platform. Water resource management is a priority in the BRICS Economic Partnership Strategy 2025, particularly relevant as the group includes countries with abundant water resources and those facing scarcity.

Addressing climate change is highlighted in the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2025, as all members are vulnerable to its impacts. The BRICS Energy Research Platform, established in 2018, promotes cooperation in energy research, technology, and policy. A Roadmap for BRICS Energy Cooperation up to 2025 was published in 2020. While clean energy integration is progressing, with China showing consistent progress and the UAE rapid increase, conventional sources remain dominant. There is potential to increase the share of renewables and explore greater use of natural gas. Nuclear energy also presents a significant opportunity, with Russia and China taking leading roles in development. A Contact Group on Climate and Sustainable Development was established during Russia's Chairship in 2024.

Food security is another critical area of cooperation. The second BRICS Agricultural Cooperation Action Plan 2021–2024 aims to accelerate agricultural development and strengthen food supply capacity. A significant proposed step is the creation of a BRICS Grain Exchange, which aims to provide a stable platform for trading essential grains and reduce dependency on Western-dominated markets. This initiative was proposed during Russia's Chairship and is mentioned in the Kazan Declaration. Collectively, BRICS nations produce a large share of global grain, wheat, and corn. While some BRICS countries are net cereal exporters (India, Brazil, Russia), others are highly dependent on imports (UAE, Saudi Arabia), underscoring the importance of intensifying agricultural trade within the group. BRICS members can also play a significant role in ensuring global food security, potentially through a joint Food Security Fund.

Significant progress is also evident in humanitarian areas, particularly Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) and Education. BRICS countries show rapid growth in patents and scientific publications. Since 2009, they accounted for over 43% of global patents and 18% of global publications in a 15-year period. Co-authored publications within BRICS have increased more than tenfold in 15 years.

Cooperation occurs through ministerial meetings, senior official meetings, and working groups across 13 priority areas. The BRICS STI Framework Program (FP), launched in 2016, has received over 1,600 applications from 5,000 research teams, supporting 157 projects from 2016 to 2023. Efforts are made to monitor implemented projects and encourage collaboration even for unfunded applications. Cooperation in intellectual property (IP) is also growing, with the IP BRICS mechanism enhancing collaboration among IP authorities. They coordinate positions within WIPO and have resumed issuing joint statements. Technology transfer is supported through initiatives like the BRICS Technology Transfer Network.

Digital development is a particularly promising area for cooperation. Annual BRICS Communications Ministers' Meetings address sectoral cooperation in the digital economy and ICT. Initiatives like the BRICS Institute of Future Networks (BIFN), Digital BRICS Task Force (DBTF), BRICS Partnership on the New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR), and the BRICS Digital Economy Partnership Framework (FINAL) adopted in 2022, aim to enhance digital transformation and governance cooperation. The CyberBRICS project analyzes digital policies and regulations.

BRICS countries show stable growth in using e-government for public services, reflected in the E-Government Development Index (EGDI). From 2010 to 2024, the BRICS 5 countries moved up 28 places on average in the EGDI ranking. Their average EGDI score rose sharply by 80% in this period. South Africa, China, and India showed particularly sharp rises in rankings. The Online Services Index and Telecommunications Infrastructure Index also saw significant growth. Saudi Arabia and the UAE boast the highest EGDI scores among the BRICS 10 in 2024. The Government AI Readiness Index shows development in AI policies and regulations, with Brazil demonstrating the most rapid growth. This has the potential to reshape the global regulatory landscape for AI. Bilateral trade flows of ICT goods within the original BRICS 5 have surged since 2010, driven mainly by China. While ICT trade with the new members was lower, significant potential exists for growth. The Frontier Technology Readiness Index shows overall positive trends, particularly in ICT infrastructure, though R&D capacity, skills, and finance availability require further focus.

Cooperation in education has also progressed. The BRICS Network University (BRICS NU), established in 2015, develops joint educational programs in priority areas and recently expanded membership to include Egypt, Iran, and the UAE. We must also add the BRICS+ Universities Association, in which we are official media partners. Eleven BRICS Education Ministers' Meetings have been held, focusing on academic collaboration. Mutual recognition of academic qualifications is a key focus to facilitate mobility. While not all BRICS countries have multilateral recognition agreements yet, initiatives are underway, and several have bilateral agreements. Other educational initiatives include the BRICS International School and the BRICS Educational Internship Program. An initiative to create a ranking of BRICS universities has gained support, and a pilot ranking was released in 2024.

Beyond STI and Education, BRICS cooperation extends to Tourism and Sports. Progress in tourism has been somewhat limited multilaterally, though initiatives like proposed Memoranda of Understanding and a BRICS Tourism Convention have been discussed. Cooperation in sports has grown since 2014, leading to events like the BRICS Under-17 Football Tournament and the annual BRICS Games. The BRICS Games have expanded in sports and participation, with over 2,800 participants from 82 countries in Kazan in 2024. This highlights the potential for sports diplomacy. The 2024 BRICS Sports Ministers' Meeting resolved to establish a framework for sports cooperation.

Healthcare is another key area, with annual BRICS Health Ministers' Meetings held since 2011. A Framework for Collaboration outlines priority areas, including health surveillance, NCD prevention, universal health coverage (UHC), strategic health technologies, and drug development. Cooperation against tuberculosis has been long-standing and successful, including the BRICS TB Research Network established in 2017. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated collaboration, with BRICS countries collectively supplying a significant portion of global vaccines. A Working Group on Nuclear Medicine was established in 2023 and met in 2024. Since 2024, work has been underway on an Integrated Early Warning System for preventing mass infectious diseases. BRICS aims to enhance involvement in global health governance.

Finally, these diverse achievements underscore BRICS' growing role in global governance. BRICS sees itself as a pioneer representing the interests of the Global Majority. They advocate for a fairer and equitable global governance system, promoting multipolarity and multilateralism. They challenge efforts to polarize the world and strive for a world order free from domination. BRICS calls for reforming international institutions like the IMF and WTO to give developing countries greater representation and voice. Initiatives like BRICS Plus and Outreach formalize ties with numerous developing countries who share these values. The recent Kazan Summit in 2024 provided further impetus, launching new platforms and initiatives like the Investment Platform and the BRICS Partners format for third countries.

So, what have the BRICS achieved so far? Based on this extensive research, it's clear the group has made significant, tangible progress across economic, sustainable development, and humanitarian sectors. From boosting their share of global GDP and FDI, to establishing platforms for trade, finance, and sustainable cooperation, and fostering collaboration in science, education, and healthcare, their influence is growing.

They have also solidified their role as a key voice advocating for a multipolar world and fairer global governance, representing the interests of the Global Majority.

However, the research also points to areas requiring continued focus. Intensifying intra-BRICS trade, especially using national currencies, is crucial. Advancing on SDGs, particularly through a joint Roadmap and addressing urban air pollution, remains important. Developing a unified stance on climate change, including tracking consumption-based emissions and building independent research capacity, is highlighted. Strengthening food security through the Grain Exchange and potentially a joint Food Security Fund is a priority. Continued collaboration in STI and education, reinforcing links between universities, businesses, and industries, and monitoring progress, is essential. Finally, exploring new tools for tourism cooperation and developing BRICS sports initiatives further are seen as valuable.

BRICS is a dynamic entity, and these achievements are building blocks for its future evolution. Stay tuned as we continue to explore the ongoing developments and deeper implications of BRICS cooperation.