BRICS remains a vital global grouping of key emerging economies from Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. Originally established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS has evolved into an expanded multi-polar grouping, fuelling an agenda on global economics, development and politics. This set of 50 essential MCQs on BRICS, will equip students, exam and research candidates with an understanding of BRICS, including its historical context, membership, expansion, purpose, and global significance. Each MCQ is based on the 2025 update with comprehensive answers and short explanatory details. Find below the 50 key MCQs about BRICS.
Key Fact Sheet about BRICS
| Key Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2009 (as BRIC), 2011 (BRICS after adding South Africa) |
| Original Members | Brazil, Russia, India, China |
| Current Members (2024–2025) | Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE |
| Headquarters | No permanent HQ |
| New Development Bank (NDB) | Founded in 2014; HQ: Shanghai |
| Primary Goal | Promote multi-polarity & economic cooperation |
| 2024 Chair | Russia |
| 2025 Chair | Brazil |
| Major Focus Areas | Economy, global south cooperation, trade, development |
| Last Summit | BRICS 2024 Summit (Russia) |
50 Important MCQs about BRICS
1. When was BRICS originally formed as BRIC?
A. 2005
B. 2009
C. 2010
D. 2012
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Details: BRIC was formed in 2009.
2. Which country joined BRIC to form BRICS in 2011?
A. Iran
B. UAE
C. South Africa
D. Egypt
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Details: South Africa joined in 2011, expanding BRIC to BRICS.
3. How many member countries does BRICS have in 2025?
A. 5
B. 6
C. 9
D. 10
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Details: BRICS expanded to nine members by 2024.
4. Which country hosted the BRICS Summit 2024?
A. India
B. Brazil
C. Russia
D. China
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Details: Russia hosted the 2024 BRICS Summit under its chairship.
5. Which country will chair BRICS in 2025?
A. China
B. India
C. Brazil
D. Egypt
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Details: Brazil will hold the BRICS presidency in 2025.
6. Where is the New Development Bank (NDB) headquartered?
A. Beijing
B. Mumbai
C. São Paulo
D. Shanghai
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Details: The New Development Bank HQ is located in Shanghai, China.
7. When was the New Development Bank established?
A. 2012
B. 2014
C. 2016
D. 2018
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Details: NDB was established in 2014 to support BRICS development.
8. Which of these is NOT an original BRIC member?
A. India
B. China
C. Russia
D. South Africa
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Details: South Africa joined later in 2011.
9. Which new member country of BRICS is located in Africa?
A. UAE
B. Ethiopia
C. Iran
D. Russia
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Details: Ethiopia joined BRICS during the 2024 expansion.
10. Which new BRICS member is a major Middle Eastern economy?
A. Iran
B. Turkey
C. Qatar
D. Jordan
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Details: Iran joined BRICS in the 2024 expansion round.
11. What is the main objective of BRICS?
A. Military alliance
B. Promote Western dominance
C. Support multipolarity & development
D. Control global oil prices
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Details: BRICS aims to enhance multipolar global governance.
12. Which BRICS country has the largest economy?
A. India
B. Russia
C. China
D. Brazil
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Details: China is the biggest economy in BRICS.
13. What is the currency cooperation proposal of BRICS called?
A. BRICS Coin
B. BRICSPay
C. Unified BRICS Currency
D. Global South Currency
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Details: BRICSPay aims to enable cross-border digital payments.
14. Which country hosted the BRICS Summit in 2023?
A. India
B. UAE
C. South Africa
D. Russia
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Details: South Africa hosted the 2023 BRICS Summit.
15. Which of the following is a founding principle of BRICS?
A. Political interference
B. Equality and mutual respect
C. Trade sanctions
D. Military partnership
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Details: BRICS promotes equality among member states.
16. Which BRICS member has the largest population?
A. China
B. India
C. Russia
D. Brazil
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Details: India is the most populous BRICS nation.
17. How many continents are represented in BRICS?
A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 5
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Details: BRICS includes members from Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America.
18. Which BRICS member is a leading oil exporter?
A. India
B. Iran
C. Brazil
D. Ethiopia
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Details: Iran is among the world’s largest oil producers.
19. Which country proposed the expansion of BRICS to include new members?
A. China
B. Russia
C. India
D. Brazil
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Details: China strongly supported the expansion of BRICS.
20. How many countries were invited to join BRICS in 2024?
A. 3
B. 5
C. 6
D. 7
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Details: Six new members were added in the 2024 expansion.
21. Which new BRICS member is located in the Gulf region?
A. Ethiopia
B. Egypt
C. UAE
D. Iran
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Details: UAE joined BRICS in the 2024 expansion.
22. Which major bank is operated by BRICS?
A. AIIB
B. World Bank
C. NDB
D. IMF
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Details: NDB is the official BRICS development bank.
23. What percentage of the global population is represented by BRICS?
A. 10%
B. 25%
C. 33%
D. 40%+
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Details: BRICS nations represent over 40% of world population.
24. Which of these BRICS members is not located in Asia?
A. Brazil
B. China
C. India
D. Iran
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Details: Brazil is located in South America.
25. Which BRICS country proposed an alternative global payment system?
A. India
B. Russia
C. Brazil
D. Ethiopia
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Details: Russia supports BRICS alternatives to SWIFT.
26. BRICS Summit 2016 was hosted by?
A. China
B. India
C. Russia
D. Brazil
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Details: India hosted the BRICS Summit in Goa in 2016.
27. Which BRICS country is the largest wheat producer?
A. Brazil
B. China
C. Russia
D. Egypt
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Details: Russia is one of the top global wheat producers.
28. Which BRICS country has the strongest manufacturing base?
A. Russia
B. China
C. India
D. UAE
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Details: China leads BRICS in manufacturing capacity.
29. The idea of BRIC was first introduced by?
A. Goldman Sachs
B. IMF
C. World Bank
D. UNDP
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Details: Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs coined BRIC in 2001.
30. Which country did NOT join BRICS expansion in 2024?
A. Argentina
B. UAE
C. Egypt
D. Iran
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Details: Argentina withdrew from joining BRICS.
31. What percentage of global GDP is represented by BRICS?
A. 10%
B. 18%
C. 27%
D. 32%+
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Details: BRICS nations contribute over 32% to the global GDP.
32. What is the BRICS primary annual event?
A. BRICS Forum
B. BRICS Leaders’ Summit
C. Global South Conclave
D. Development Expo
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Details: The annual summit is the most important BRICS meeting.
33. Which BRICS member has the smallest economy?
A. Ethiopia
B. Egypt
C. South Africa
D. UAE
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Details: Ethiopia is the smallest economy among BRICS nations.
34. What is the BRICS partnership with Africa called?
A. BRICS-Africa Fusion
B. BRICS-Africa Dialogue
C. Africa Integration Plan
D. Africa BRICS Alliance
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Details: This mechanism boosts BRICS-Africa relations.
35. Which BRICS member is a major gold producer?
A. Brazil
B. India
C. Russia
D. South Africa
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Details: South Africa has vast gold reserves.
36. Which BRICS country has the highest GDP per capita?
A. India
B. China
C. UAE
D. Brazil
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Details: UAE is the wealthiest member per capita.
37. Which country is known as the “energy hub” of BRICS?
A. India
B. Brazil
C. Russia
D. Ethiopia
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Details: Russia leads BRICS in energy resources.
38. Which BRICS summit was held virtually due to COVID-19?
A. 2019
B. 2020
C. 2021
D. 2022
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Details: The 2020 BRICS Summit was held virtually.
39. Which sector is most discussed among BRICS nations?
A. Space exploration
B. Economic development
C. Sports
D. Tourism
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Details: Economic cooperation is the core BRICS priority.
40. Which BRICS member has the largest land area?
A. China
B. India
C. Brazil
D. Russia
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Details: Russia is the world’s largest country by area.
41. Which BRICS member is the largest democracy?
A. Egypt
B. India
C. Brazil
D. Ethiopia
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Details: India is the world’s largest democratic nation.
42. What is the official BRICS bank abbreviation?
A. BRICS Bank
B. NDB
C. BDB
D. BRICS Funding Group
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Details: NDB stands for New Development Bank.
43. Who chaired the BRICS Summit in 2023?
A. Lula da Silva
B. Vladimir Putin
C. Cyril Ramaphosa
D. Xi Jinping
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Details: South Africa chaired BRICS in 2023.
44. Which BRICS member is not a nuclear power?
A. Brazil
B. China
C. Russia
D. India
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Details: Brazil does not possess nuclear weapons.
45. BRICS is often seen as an alternative to?
A. G20
B. NATO
C. IMF & World Bank
D. OPEC
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Details: BRICS seeks to reduce dependency on Western financial institutions.
46. Which BRICS country is the largest coffee producer?
A. India
B. Ethiopia
C. China
D. Brazil
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Details: Brazil is the world’s top coffee producer.
47. Which BRICS member is known for high oil exports to Asia?
A. Egypt
B. UAE
C. Ethiopia
D. India
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Details: UAE is a major global oil exporter.
48. Which BRICS member is home to the Suez Canal?
A. Iran
B. Ethiopia
C. Egypt
D. Russia
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Details: Egypt controls the globally important Suez Canal.
49. BRICS expansion mainly focuses on which region?
A. Europe
B. Global South
C. North America
D. Oceania
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Details: BRICS prioritizes Global South countries.
50. What is the long-term vision of BRICS for 2030?
A. Single military alliance
B. Global governance reform & multipolar world
C. Regional isolation
D. Digital entertainment industry
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Details: BRICS aims for a balanced multipolar world order.
The BRICS group has established itself as a major economic and geopolitical force. In the global context of connections among countries representing rising economies and increasing the voice of the Global South, we’ve assembled this set of 50 MCQs about BRICS which offers a comprehensive understanding of the continuing expansion of membership, accompanying missions, and global significance of this group. This set of BRICS-themed MCQs is relevant for anyone preparing for competitive examinations, research purposes, or just enhancing one’s own knowledge base. Remember to stay informed about the happenings of the world, as it always helps you to build your knowledge base, especially when it comes to international affairs.