Best BRICS ETFs: Equity & Index Funds for Emerging Markets

The term BRIC was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill to describe four economies — Brazil, Russia, India, and China — projected to reshape global output by 2050. The group held its first formal summit in 2009, South Africa joined in 2010 to form BRICS, and the bloc has since expanded to eleven members including the UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia.

BRICS countries account for roughly 40% of the world’s population and a comparable share of global GDP measured by purchasing power parity — a threshold that surpassed the G7’s combined share back in 2018. Despite this weight, BRICS has no founding treaty, secretariat, or permanent headquarters. The chair rotates annually among members.

What BRICS ETFs actually cover

For U.S.-listed investors, no single ETF spans all eleven BRICS member states. Russia became inaccessible after sanctions and delistings following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and several newer members lack liquid equity markets. The closest broad option is the iShares MSCI BIC ETF (BKF), which tracks Brazil, India, and China across roughly 684 holdings — with China representing about 57% of assets, India roughly 31%, and Brazil near 11%.

Single-country ETFs fill the gaps:

• EWZ – iShares MSCI Brazil ETF: Tracks the MSCI Brazil 25-50 Index, launched in 2000. Brazilian equity ETFs tend to be heavily weighted toward financials and materials.
• INDA – iShares MSCI India ETF: Tracks the MSCI India Index, issued by BlackRock.
• MCHI – iShares MSCI China ETF: Tracks the MSCI China Index, also from BlackRock.
• EZA – iShares MSCI South Africa ETF: Trading since February 2003, tracking the MSCI South Africa 25-50 Index. South Africa is a notable exception to the frontier-market classification that applies to much of the African continent.

Most of these BRICS equity ETFs are issued by BlackRock under the iShares brand. Broader emerging markets ETFs also carry significant BRICS country weights, though they dilute exposure with holdings from dozens of other countries.

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The table below lists BRICS-focused equity and index ETFs with live pricing, performance data, and fund details.