The G7 and BRICS are two prominent international political and economic blocs that represent different facets of the global order. The G7 is a group of leading industrialized democracies, while BRICS is an association of major emerging economies.
They are often seen as a reflection of the evolving balance of power, with the G7 representing the traditional Western-led order and BRICS challenging it by advocating for a more multipolar world.
Members and Objectives
G7
The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal intergovernmental political forum. Its members are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union is a non-enumerated member. The G7’s primary objective is to discuss global economic issues and coordinate policies on a range of international matters, including trade, security, and climate change. It is rooted in the post-World War II international financial order and aims to uphold a rules-based global system.
BRICS
BRICS is an acronym for its founding members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. As of January 2024, the group has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia joined in early 2025. This expansion significantly increases the bloc’s influence. The main objective of BRICS is to increase the representation and influence of emerging economies in global governance, challenging the dominance of Western institutions like the IMF and the World Bank.
Economic and Demographic Comparison
The G7 has a larger nominal GDP, but the BRICS bloc has surpassed it in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) and population.
- Population: BRICS has a significantly larger collective population, representing over 45% of the world’s total, compared to the G7’s approximately 10%. This demographic advantage translates to a massive consumer market and workforce.
- GDP (Nominal): In 2024, the G7’s combined nominal GDP was estimated at approximately $45.9 trillion, while the expanded BRICS bloc had a combined GDP of around $29 trillion. The G7 still maintains a lead in this metric, largely due to the economic might of the United States.
- GDP (PPP): When measured by purchasing power parity, which adjusts for differences in the cost of living, BRICS has a larger collective economy. According to IMF data, the BRICS bloc surpassed the G7 in PPP-adjusted GDP in 2012, and this gap has continued to widen. The BRICS+ group now accounts for approximately 36% of the global GDP in PPP terms, compared to the G7’s 29.6%.
Political Influence and Geopolitics
G7
The G7 countries are politically aligned democracies that often present a united front on major international issues. Their influence is historically tied to their economic power and control over global financial institutions. They typically set the agenda for global policy and security matters.
BRICS
The BRICS bloc is more diverse, with a mix of democratic, authoritarian, and semi-authoritarian states. This diversity can lead to internal disagreements, but it also allows the group to act as a voice for the “Global South.” The BRICS countries have been working to create alternative financial and political institutions, such as the New Development Bank, to reduce their dependence on Western-led systems and the U.S. dollar. The expansion to include key oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the UAE further strengthens its economic leverage and geopolitical significance.
Divergent Goals and Ideologies
The G7 and BRICS represent distinct approaches to global governance and economic influence, and their interactions are increasingly characterized by competition and rivalry, rather than outright confrontation. This dynamic stems from their differing origins, objectives, and geopolitical alignments.
G7
The G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) is a bloc of established industrialized democracies. Its core objectives include promoting global economic stability, upholding democratic values, and maintaining a rules-based international order that largely reflects Western norms and institutions.
BRICS
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and now expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, among others) is a coalition of major emerging economies. Its primary aim is to increase the influence of these nations in global decision-making, reform international financial institutions to better reflect current global economic realities, and create alternative mechanisms that reduce reliance on Western-dominated systems. While BRICS members share a common desire for a more multipolar world, they have diverse political systems and national interests, which can sometimes lead to internal tensions.
Economic and Geopolitical Competition
The increasing economic heft of the BRICS bloc, particularly China and India, has led to a noticeable shift in global power dynamics, creating a geoeconomic counterweight to the G7.
- Economic Challenges: BRICS is actively working to establish independent economic systems and institutions, such as the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), to provide financial support and bypass traditional Western-controlled institutions like the IMF and World Bank. The push to increase the use of local currencies in trade and investment transactions is a direct challenge to the dominance of the US dollar as the global reserve currency.
- Geopolitical Rivalry: The expansion of BRICS, particularly with the inclusion of countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, has bolstered its influence in energy markets and its ability to act as a bloc that can potentially circumvent Western sanctions and exert pressure on established global norms. The BRICS countries often emphasize principles like sovereignty, non-interference, and multipolarity, which stand in contrast to the G7’s emphasis on democratic values and a rules-based order often perceived by BRICS members as having Western biases.
- Technological Competition: There is also emerging competition in areas like Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance, where BRICS aims to establish frameworks that may differ significantly from Western approaches, potentially impacting global data privacy, accountability, and human rights standards.
Areas of Friction and Potential Confrontation
While direct confrontation is not the norm, certain actions and policy directions by each bloc create friction:
- Sanctions and Counter-Sanctions: The G7’s use of economic sanctions (e.g., against Russia) is often met with efforts by BRICS members to find ways around them, such as through alternative payment systems or increased trade with sanctioned nations.
- Influence in Global Institutions: BRICS advocates for reforms in institutions like the UN Security Council and the IMF, seeking greater representation and influence for emerging economies, which the G7, as established powers, may resist or seek to manage on their own terms.
- Trade and Investment Blocs: The formation of alternative economic initiatives by BRICS, like the Belt and Road Initiative (though not exclusively a BRICS project, it aligns with its objectives), can be seen as competing with G7-led infrastructure and investment programs.
- Differing Values: The fundamental ideological differences between the democratic G7 and the more diverse political systems within BRICS (particularly concerning governance and human rights) create inherent tension.
The expansion of BRICS is often viewed by the West as a move towards a more fragmented world and an attempt to create an anti-Western bloc.
However, many BRICS members, like India, also seek to maintain good relations with Western countries and aim for a more balanced, multipolar world order rather than a direct confrontation.
The “confrontation” is therefore more about competing visions for global governance and economic structures, with each bloc seeking to advance its interests and reshape the international landscape.