The role of capitals and major cities in the economic development of the BRICS countries

Capitals and key regional centers play an important, and in some countries a determining, role in the economic development of all countries in the world. The concentration of population, company headquarters and banks, on the one hand, becomes a driver of economic development, but on the other hand,...

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Main Authors: Georgii E. Popov, Veronika N. Kholina, Marko Dobritsa Petrovich
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 2025-08-01
Series:RUDN Journal of Economics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.rudn.ru/economics/article/viewFile/45445/25209
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author Georgii E. Popov
Veronika N. Kholina
Marko Dobritsa Petrovich
author_facet Georgii E. Popov
Veronika N. Kholina
Marko Dobritsa Petrovich
author_sort Georgii E. Popov
collection DOAJ
description Capitals and key regional centers play an important, and in some countries a determining, role in the economic development of all countries in the world. The concentration of population, company headquarters and banks, on the one hand, becomes a driver of economic development, but on the other hand, it generates disproportions that become a brake on sustainable development. The scale of the economies of agglomerations and megalopolises of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE and Egypt — an influential organization that accounts for about 40% of the total population of the Earth and 1/3 of the world GDP) is impressive and comparable to entire countries. This paper aims to examine the role of the capitals and the five largest cities of the BRICS countries in the socio-­economic performance of the countries over the period 2000–2020. For the comparative analysis of the role of capitals and largest cities in economic development were used the calculations the coefficients of population dynamics and urban population concentration in the five largest cities and the capital and their role in the economy. The analysis showed that the BRICS countries demonstrate significant differences in the indicators, which is due to historical, geographical, socio-­economic and other factors. The authors identified 3 groups of countries by the nature of the dynamics of the role of capitals over 2000–2020: countries where the role in the socio-­economic development of the capital and the five largest cities: increased (Russia, South Africa and China); decreased (UAE, Ethiopia and Iran); did not change (Brazil, Egypt and India). The results contribute to the scientific understanding of the processes and the relationship between spatial development and economic growth in emerging markets and developing countries.
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spelling doaj-art-9dc0095d0f584407b7dfd1f61ddad7492025-08-20T03:36:57ZengPeoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)RUDN Journal of Economics2313-23292408-89862025-08-0133230431810.22363/2313-2329-2025-33-2-304-31821104The role of capitals and major cities in the economic development of the BRICS countriesGeorgii E. Popov0https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9896-5238Veronika N. Kholina1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2565-6244Marko Dobritsa Petrovich2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6561-0307RUDN UniversityRUDN UniversityRUDN UniversityCapitals and key regional centers play an important, and in some countries a determining, role in the economic development of all countries in the world. The concentration of population, company headquarters and banks, on the one hand, becomes a driver of economic development, but on the other hand, it generates disproportions that become a brake on sustainable development. The scale of the economies of agglomerations and megalopolises of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE and Egypt — an influential organization that accounts for about 40% of the total population of the Earth and 1/3 of the world GDP) is impressive and comparable to entire countries. This paper aims to examine the role of the capitals and the five largest cities of the BRICS countries in the socio-­economic performance of the countries over the period 2000–2020. For the comparative analysis of the role of capitals and largest cities in economic development were used the calculations the coefficients of population dynamics and urban population concentration in the five largest cities and the capital and their role in the economy. The analysis showed that the BRICS countries demonstrate significant differences in the indicators, which is due to historical, geographical, socio-­economic and other factors. The authors identified 3 groups of countries by the nature of the dynamics of the role of capitals over 2000–2020: countries where the role in the socio-­economic development of the capital and the five largest cities: increased (Russia, South Africa and China); decreased (UAE, Ethiopia and Iran); did not change (Brazil, Egypt and India). The results contribute to the scientific understanding of the processes and the relationship between spatial development and economic growth in emerging markets and developing countries.https://journals.rudn.ru/economics/article/viewFile/45445/25209brics countrieseconomicdevelopmenturbanizationregionalcentersagglomeration
spellingShingle Georgii E. Popov
Veronika N. Kholina
Marko Dobritsa Petrovich
The role of capitals and major cities in the economic development of the BRICS countries
RUDN Journal of Economics
brics countries
economicdevelopment
urbanization
regionalcenters
agglomeration
title The role of capitals and major cities in the economic development of the BRICS countries
title_full The role of capitals and major cities in the economic development of the BRICS countries
title_fullStr The role of capitals and major cities in the economic development of the BRICS countries
title_full_unstemmed The role of capitals and major cities in the economic development of the BRICS countries
title_short The role of capitals and major cities in the economic development of the BRICS countries
title_sort role of capitals and major cities in the economic development of the brics countries
topic brics countries
economicdevelopment
urbanization
regionalcenters
agglomeration
url https://journals.rudn.ru/economics/article/viewFile/45445/25209
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