Indonesia has officially joined the BRICS bloc as a full member, as announced by Brazil, which currently holds the group’s rotating presidency for 2025.

This development follows the initial endorsement of Indonesia’s candidacy by BRICS leaders during the 2023 Johannesburg summit. Indonesia, being Southeast Asia’s largest economy and the world’s fourth most populous nation, waited to formally join until after the formation of its newly elected government last year.

The expansion is significant for BRICS, which was originally formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in December 2010. The bloc underwent substantial growth in 2024 with the addition of Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has received an invitation but hasn’t yet joined, while Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia have formally applied for membership.

Indonesia’s inclusion aligns with BRICS’s mission to serve as a counterweight to the G7 and reform global governance institutions. The organization, whose name originated from an economic term in the early 2000s predicting these nations’ future economic dominance, now represents an even larger share of global influence.

Prior to Indonesia’s entry, BRICS already accounted for nearly 45% of the world’s population and 35% of global GDP (measured by purchasing power parity). The addition of Indonesia further strengthens the bloc’s presence in Southeast Asia, a region of strategic economic importance.