BRICS Summits 2009-2026: Themes, Host Countries and Major Outcomes
Since the time of the first summit held in 2009, there has been much change in the grouping of BRICS countries. While at that time BRICS comprised Brazil, Russia, India and China only, since the incorporation of South Africa into the grouping in 2011, the themes discussed during the annual summits have become broader, addressing not only the economic cooperation but also global governance, development financing, technology, climate action, health and other concerns of the Global South.
The 18th BRICS Summit is to be held in New Delhi, India, from September 12 to 13, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam. The theme of the summit in 2026 is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” Previously, India hosted BRICS summits in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
| Year | Host Country & City | Theme | Major Outcome |
| 2009 | Russia, Yekaterinburg | No formal theme | First BRIC summit; called for a more democratic and multipolar global order. |
| 2010 | Brazil, Brasília | No formal theme | Focused on global financial system reforms and South Africa’s entry process. |
| 2011 | China, Sanya | Broad Vision, Shared Prosperity | South Africa participated for the first time, formally creating BRICS. |
| 2012 | India, New Delhi | BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Security and Prosperity | Delhi Declaration; discussions began on creating a new development bank. |
| 2013 | South Africa, Durban | BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialisation | BRICS Business Council established; plans for the New Development Bank advanced. |
| 2014 | Brazil, Fortaleza | Inclusive Growth: Sustainable Solutions | Agreement establishing the New Development Bank (NDB) and Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA). |
| 2015 | Russia, Ufa | VII BRICS Summit: It’s Time for Action | Economic Partnership Strategy adopted; cooperation on security and counter-terrorism strengthened. |
| 2016 | India, Goa | Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions | Goa Declaration; first BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit held. |
| 2017 | China, Xiamen | BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future | BRICS Plus outreach model introduced; counter-terrorism cooperation received greater attention. |
| 2018 | South Africa, Johannesburg | BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution | Focus on digital economy and Fourth Industrial Revolution, BRICS Vaccine R&D Centre initiative advanced. |
| 2019 | Brazil, Brasília | Economic Growth for an Innovative Future | Emphasis on science, technology, innovation, trade and counter-terrorism cooperation. |
| 2020 | Russia, Virtual | BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth | Counter-Terrorism Strategy adopted; cooperation focused on COVID-19 response and economic recovery. |
| 2021 | India, Virtual | BRICS @ 15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus | Counter-Terrorism Action Plan and Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation agreement adopted. |
| 2022 | China, Virtual | Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development | Focus on digital economy, trade facilitation and resilient supply chains. |
| 2023 | South Africa, Johannesburg | BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism | Six countries were invited to join: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE. |
| 2024 | Russia, Kazan | trengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security | First summit following expansion; partner-country framework and local-currency payment discussions gained momentum. |
| 2025 | Brazil, Rio de Janeiro | Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance | Indonesia was formally welcomed as a full member; global governance reforms remained a major focus. |
| 2026 | India, New Delhi | Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability Summit | — |
The formation of BRICS can be divided into three broad stages.
The first stage started with the BRIC summit in 2009 where Brazil, Russia, India and China pushed for greater representation of emerging nations within international organizations in the finance and politics.
The second stage saw the inclusion of South Africa in 2011. It enhanced the geographical coverage of the group within the African continent and helped create the BRICS formation.
The most important institutionally was the 2014 decision to set up the New Development Bank (NDB) and Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA). These tools were used to promote greater financial cooperation between emerging economies.
The third stage of BRICS has seen an expansion. The BRICS group included several other countries at the 2023 summit held in Johannesburg. The new BRICS group formed from 2024. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE were added to BRICS along with Indonesia.
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