G7

The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental political and economic forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States; additionally, the European Union (EU) is a "non-enumerated member". It is organized around shared values of pluralism, liberal democracy, and representative government.<ref name="What is the G7">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> G7 members are major IMF advanced economies.

Originating from an ad hoc gathering of finance ministers in 1973, the G7 has since become a formal, high-profile venue for discussing and coordinating solutions to major global issues, especially in the areas of trade, security, economics, and climate change.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Each member's head of government or state, along with the EU's Commission President and European Council President, meet annually at the G7 Summit; other high-ranking officials of the G7 and the EU meet throughout the year. Representatives of other states and international organizations are often invited as guests, with Russia having been a formal member (as part of the G8) from 1997 until its expulsion in 2014.

The G7 is not based on a treaty and has no permanent secretariat or office. It is organized through a presidency that rotates annually among the member states, with the presiding state setting the group's priorities and hosting the summit; Canada presides for 2025.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While lacking a legal or institutional basis, the G7 is widely considered to wield significant international influence;<ref name="Shear">Template:Cite news</ref> it has catalyzed or spearheaded several major global initiatives, including efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, provide financial aid to developing countries, and address climate change through the 2015 Paris Agreement.<ref name="Shear"/><ref name="What is the G7"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, the group has been criticized by observers for its allegedly outdated and limited membership, narrow global representation, and ineffectualness.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The rise of BRICS+ for example, with its expanded membership and focus on South-South cooperation, reflects a broader shift in global power dynamics, with emerging economies gaining greater influence in international affairs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The G7 countries have together a population of about 780 million people (or almost 10% of the world population), comprise around 50% of worldwide nominal net wealth and as of 2024 about 30% of world GDP (as by purchasing power parity) and more than 44% of nominal gross domestic product.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="b990">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

Origins

The concept of a forum for the capitalist world's major industrialized countries emerged before the 1973 oil crisis. On 25 March 1973, the United States secretary of the treasury, George Shultz, convened an informal gathering of finance ministers from West Germany (Helmut Schmidt), France (Valéry Giscard d'Estaing), and the United Kingdom (Anthony Barber) before an upcoming meeting in Washington, DC. United States president Richard Nixon offered the White House as a venue, and the meeting was subsequently held in its library on the ground floor;<ref name="Schultz">Shultz, George P. (1993). Turmoil and Triumph: My Years as Secretary of State (Scribner's) p. 148. Template:ISBN.</ref> the original group of four consequently became known as the "Library Group".<ref>Bayne, Nicholas; Putnam, Robert D. (2000). Hanging in There. Ashgate Pub Ltd. 230 pages. Template:ISBN. p. 20.</ref> In mid-1973, at the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Shultz proposed the addition of Japan, which all members accepted.<ref name="Schultz"/> The informal gathering of senior financial officials from the United States, United Kingdom, West Germany, Japan, and France became known as the "Group of Five".<ref>Farnsworth, Clyde H. (8 May 1977). "A Secret Society of Finance Ministers", New York Times.</ref>

In 1974, all five members endured sudden and often troubled changes in leadership. French president Georges Pompidou abruptly died, leading to a fresh presidential election that was closely won by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. West German chancellor Willy Brandt, American president Richard Nixon, and Japanese prime minister Kakuei Tanaka all resigned due to scandals. In the United Kingdom, a hung election led to a minority government whose subsequent instability prompted another election the same year. Consequently, Nixon's successor, Gerald Ford, proposed a retreat the following year for the group's new leaders to learn about one another.

First summit and expansion

File:Photograph of President Gerald R. Ford Meeting with Foreign Heads of State in the Salle des Marbres in the Chateau de Rambouillet at the International Economic Summit Conference in Rambouillet, France - NARA - 7518995.jpg

First G6 summit at the Château de Rambouillet in November 1975

At the initiative of Giscard d'Estaing and his German counterpart, Helmut Schmidt, France hosted a three-day summit in November 1975, inviting the Group of Five plus Italy, forming the "Group of Six" (G6).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Taking place at the Château de Rambouillet, the meeting focused on several major economic issues, including the oil crisis, the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, and the ongoing global recession.<ref name="evian">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The result was the 15-point "Declaration of Rambouillet", which, among other positions, announced the group's united commitment to promoting free trade, multilateralism, cooperation with the developing world, and rapprochement with the Eastern Bloc.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The members also established plans for future gatherings to take place regularly every year.

In 1976, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who had participated in the first G6 summit, resigned from office; Schmidt and Ford believed the group needed an English speaker with more political experience, and advocated for inviting Pierre Trudeau, who had been Prime Minister of Canada for eight yearsTemplate:Sndsignificantly longer than any G6 leader. Canada was also the next largest advanced economy after the G6 members.<ref>The Canadian Encyclopedia – Canada and the G8 Template:Webarchive G8: The Most Exclusive Club in the World, Thomas S. Axworthy, The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Foundation of Canada, Toronto, Undated. Retrieved 23 July 2015.</ref> The summit in Dorado, Puerto Rico later that year became the first of the current Group of Seven (G7).<ref name="evian" />

In 1977, the United Kingdom, which hosted that year's summit, invited the European Economic Community to join all G7 summits; beginning in 1981, it has attended every gathering through the president of the European Commission and the leader of the country holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union.<ref name=deljpn20060717>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since 2009, the then-newly established position of the President of the European Council, who serves as the Union's principal foreign representative, also regularly attends the summits.

Rising profile

File:G7 flags, Toronto.jpg

Flags of G7 members as seen on University Avenue, Toronto (September 2016)

Until the 1985 Plaza Accord, meetings between the seven governments' finance ministers were not public knowledge. The Accord, which involved only the original Group of Five, was announced the day before it was finalized, with a communiqué issued afterward.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The 1980s also marked the G7's expanded concerns beyond macroeconomic issues, namely with respect to international security and conflict; for example, it sought to address the ongoing conflicts between Iran and Iraq and between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan.

Following the 1994 summit in Naples, Russian officials held separate meetings with leaders of the G7. This informal arrangement was dubbed the "Political 8" (P8), colloquially the G7+1. At the invitation of the G7 leaders, Russian President Boris Yeltsin was invited first as a guest observer, and later as a full participant. After the 1997 meeting, Russia was formally invited to the next meeting and formally joined the group in 1998, resulting in the Group of Eight (G8).<ref name="evian" /> Russia was an outlier in the group, as it lacked the national wealth and financial weight of other members, and at the time was not an established liberal democracy.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its invitation, made during a difficult transition to a post-communist economy, is believed to have been motivated by a desire to encourage its political and economic reforms and international engagement.

Russia's membership was suspended in March 2014 in response to its annexation of Crimea.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="CNN.com2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Members stopped short of permanently ejecting the country,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and in subsequent years expressed an openness or express desire to reinstate Russian participation. In January 2017, Russia announced it would permanently leave the G8, which came into effect June 2018.<ref name="russia-suspension2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump, backed by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, advocated for Russia's return; all other members rejected the proposal, and Russia expressed no interest.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Renewed calls for expanded membership

There have been various proposals to expand the G7. The U.S.-based Atlantic Council has held the D-10 Strategy Forum since 2014 with representatives from what it calls "leading democracies" which support a "rules-based democratic order", consisting of all members of the G7 (including the European Union) plus Australia and South Korea. Several democratic countriesTemplate:Sndincluding India, Indonesia, Poland, and SpainTemplate:Snd participate as observers.<ref name="auto1" /> Centered around a similar mandate as the G7, the D-10 has been considered by some analysts to be an alternative to the group;<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This is also favored by various think tanks and former British leader Boris Johnson.<ref name="auto1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2019 under Putin, Russia had signaled support for the inclusion of China, India, and Turkey if the G7 had reinstated Russian membership.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2020 under Trump, the U.S. had signaled support for the inclusion of Australia, Brazil, India, and South Korea, plus the reincorporation of Russia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The leaders of the other six G7 members unanimously rejected this proposal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Also in November 2020, Jared Cohen and Richard Fontaine, writing in Foreign Affairs, suggested that the G7 might be expanded to a "T-12" of "Techno Democracies". Earlier, in June of that same year, the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) was announced. Something of a spin-out of the G7, founded by members Canada and France, GPAI's initial membership was 15, including both the EU and India, as well as Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovenia, and the Republic of Korea.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Boris Johnson invited representatives of Australia and the Republic of Korea to the June 2021 G7 summit.<ref name=":0" /> India was also invited to the 2021 summit, with an aim to "deepen the expertise and experience around the table" along with the other guests, according to a U.K. government statement.<ref name="Ellyatt">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2021, French jurist and consultant Eric Gardner de Béville, a member of the Cercle Montesquieu, proposed Spain's membership to the G7.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> American Chargé d'Affaires in Spain, Conrad Tribble, stated that the United States "enthusiastically supports" a "greater" role of Spanish leadership at the international level.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In April 2022, Germany confirmed it would be inviting India,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> against rumours to the contrary.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Update after

In March 2023, Japan's prime minister Fumio Kishida invited South Korea, Australia, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, the Comoros (African Union president from February 2023 to February 2024), the Cook Islands (Pacific Islands Forum president from February 2021 to May 2024) and Ukraine to the 49th summit hosted in Hiroshima.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Ronald A. Klain writing for the Carnegie Endowment, proposed creating the G9 by adding South Korea and Australia due to the Eurocentrism of the current alliance and rising challenges posed by China in Asia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In March 2025, Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney invited President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend the 51st G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. In May 2025, Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney also invited Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese to attend the 51st G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Activities and initiatives

Template:Location map+ The G7 was founded primarily to facilitate shared macroeconomic initiatives in response to contemporary economic problems; the first gathering was centered around the Nixon shock, the 1970s energy crisis, and the ensuing global recession.<ref name=Bayne>Template:Citation</ref> Since 1975, the group has met annually at summits organized and hosted by whichever country occupies the annually-rotating presidency;<ref name="g7germany.de">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> since 1987, the G7 Finance Ministers have met at least semi-annually, and up to four times a year at stand-alone meetings.<ref name="meet">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Beginning in the 1980s, the G7 broadened its areas of concern to include issues of international security, human rights, and global security; for example, during this period, the G7 concerned itself with the ongoing Iran-Iraq War and Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.<ref name="g7germany.de"/> In the 1990s, it launched a debt-relief program for the 42 heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC);<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> provided $300 million to help build the Shelter Structure over the damaged reactor at Chernobyl;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and established the Financial Stability Forum to help in "managing the international monetary system".<ref name="Van" />

At the turn of the 21st century, the G7 began emphasizing engagement with the developing world. At the 1999 summit, the group helped launch the G20, a similar forum made up of the G7 and the next 13 largest economies (including the European Union), in order to "promote dialogue between major industrial and emerging market countries";<ref name="Van">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the G20 has been touted by some of its members as a replacement for the G7.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Having previously announced a plan to cancel 90% of bilateral debt for the HIPC, totaling $100 billion, in 2005 the G7 announced debt reductions of "up to 100%" to be negotiated on a "case by case" basis.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

After the 2008 financial crisis, the G7 met twice in Washington, D.C. in 2008 and in Rome in February 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> G7 finance ministers pledged to take "all necessary steps" to stem the crisis,<ref name="O'Grady">Template:Cite news</ref> devising an "aggressive action plan" that included providing publicly funded capital infusions to banks in danger of failing.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Some analysts criticized the group for seemingly advocating that individual governments develop individual responses to the recession, rather than cohere around a united effort.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In subsequent years, the G7 has faced several geopolitical challenges that have led some international analysts to question its credibility,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> or propose its replacement by the G20.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 2 March 2014, the G7 condemned the Russian Federation for its "violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine" through its military intervention.<ref name="toro">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The group also announced its commitment to "mobilize rapid technical assistance to support Ukraine in addressing its macroeconomic, regulatory and anti-corruption challenges", while adding that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was best suited to stabilizing the country's finances and economy.<ref name="toro" />

In response to Russia's subsequent annexation of Crimea, on 24 March the G7 convened an emergency meeting at the official residence of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, the Catshuis in The Hague; this location was chosen because all G7 leaders were already present to attend the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit hosted by the Netherlands. This was the first G7 meeting neither taking place in a member state nor having the host leader participating in the meeting.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The upcoming G8 summit in Sochi, Russia was moved to Brussels, where the EU was the host. On 5 June 2014 the G7 condemned Moscow for its "continuing violation" of Ukraine's sovereignty and stated they were prepared to impose further sanctions on Russia.<ref name="bbc201406">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This meeting was the first since Russia was suspended from the G8,<ref name="bbc201406" /> and subsequently it has not been involved in any G7 summit.

The G7 has continued to take a strong stance against Russia's "destabilising behaviour and malign activities" in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world, following the joint communique from the June 2021 summit in the U.K.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The group also called on Russia to address international cybercrime attacks launched from within its borders, and to investigate the use of chemical weapons on Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.<ref name=":1" /> The June 2021 summit also saw the G7 commit to helping the world recover from the global COVID-19 pandemic (including plans to help vaccinate the entire world); encourage further action against climate change and biodiversity loss; and promote "shared values" of pluralism and democracy.<ref name="Ellyatt"/>

In 2022, G7 leaders were invited to attend an extraordinary summit of NATO called in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In April 2024, the G7 countries agreed to close all coal power plants in 2030-2035 unless their greenhouse gases will be captured or the countries will find another way to align their emissions with the 1.5 degree pathway.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2019 Amazon rainforest fires and Brazil

Template:Further The G7 nations pledged US$20 million to help Brazil and other countries in South America fight the wildfires. This money was welcomed, although it was widely seen as a "relatively small amount" given the scale of the problem. Macron threatened to block a major trade deal between the European Union and Brazil (Mercosur) that would benefit the agricultural interests accused of driving deforestation. Soon after, Germany and the United Kingdom criticized the threat.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Summit organization

The annual G7 summit is attended by each member's head of government.<ref name="feldman1">Template:Cite journal</ref> The member country holding the G7 presidency is responsible for organizing and hosting the year's summit. The serial annual summits can be parsed chronologically in arguably distinct ways, including as the sequence of host countries for the summits has recurred over time and series.<ref>Hajnal, Peter I. (1999). Template:Google books</ref> Generally every country hosts the summit once every seven years.<ref>G7 Italy 2017 Template:Webarchive, Italian official website, 2017</ref>

Besides a main meeting in June or July, a number of other meetings may take place throughout the year; in 2021 for example, seven tracks existed for finance (4–5 June 2021), environmental (20 and 21 May 2021), health (3–4 June 2021), trade (27–28 May 2021), interior (7–9 September 2021) digital and technology (28–29 April 2021), development (3–5 May 2021) and foreign ministers.<ref name="ministers">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Friction with the United States

The 2018 meeting in Charlevoix, Canada, was marred by fractious negotiations concerning tariffs and Donald Trump's position that Russia should be reinstated to the G7. The Trump administration had just imposed steel and aluminium tariffs on many countries, including European countries that are fellow members of the G7, and Canada, the host country for the 2018 meeting. Trump expressed dismay at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for holding a press conference in which Canada restated its position on tariffs (a public criticism of Trump's economic policy), and directed his representatives at the meeting not to sign the economic section of the joint communiqué that is typically issued at the conclusion of the meeting. German Chancellor Angela Merkel described Trump's behaviour as a "depressing withdrawal", while French President Emmanuel Macron invited him "to be serious".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the final statement signed by all members except the US, the G7 announced its intention to recall sanctions and to be ready to take further restrictive measures within the next months against the Russian Federation for its failure to completely implement the Minsk Agreement.<ref name="auto" />

List of summits

Overview of G7 summits

#	Date	Host	Host leader	Location held	Notes
As the G6
1st	15–17 November 1975	Template:Country	Valéry Giscard d'Estaing	Château de Rambouillet, Yvelines	The first and only G6 summit.
As the G7
2nd	27–28 June 1976	Template:Country	Gerald R. Ford	Dorado, Puerto Rico<ref name="shabecoff">Shabecoff, Philip. "Go-Slow Policies Urged by Leaders in Economic Talks; Closing Statement Calls for Sustained Growth Coupled With Curbs on Inflation; Ford's Aims Realized; 7 Heads of Government Also Agree to Consider a New Body to Assist Italy Co-Slow Economic Policies Urged by 7 Leaders" Template:Webarchive, The New York Times. 29 June 1976; Chronology, June 1976. Template:Webarchive</ref>	Also called "Rambouillet II". Canada joined the group, forming the G7.<ref name="shabecoff" />
3rd	7–8 May 1977	Template:Country	James Callaghan	London, England	The President of the European Commission was invited to join the annual G7 summits.
4th	16–17 July 1978	Template:Country	Helmut Schmidt	Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia
5th	28–29 June 1979	Template:Country	Masayoshi Ōhira	Tokyo
6th	22–23 June 1980	Template:Country	Francesco Cossiga	Venice, Veneto	Prime Minister Ōhira died in office on 12 June; Foreign Minister Saburō Ōkita led the delegation that represented Japan.
7th	20–21 July 1981	Template:Country	Pierre Trudeau	Montebello, Québec
8th	4–6 June 1982	Template:Country	François Mitterrand	Versailles, Yvelines
9th	28–30 May 1983	Template:Country	Ronald Reagan	Williamsburg, Virginia
10th	7–9 June 1984	Template:Country	Margaret Thatcher	London, England
11th	2–4 May 1985	Template:Country	Helmut Kohl	Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia
12th	4–6 May 1986	Template:Country	Yasuhiro Nakasone	Tokyo
13th	8–10 June 1987	Template:Country	Amintore Fanfani	Venice, Veneto
14th	19–21 June 1988	Template:Country	Brian Mulroney	Toronto, Ontario
15th	14–16 July 1989	Template:Country	François Mitterrand	Paris, Paris	The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was formed.
16th	9–11 July 1990	Template:Country	George H. W. Bush	Houston, Texas
17th	15–17 July 1991	Template:Country	John Major	London, England
18th	6–8 July 1992	Template:Country	Helmut Kohl	Munich, Bavaria	The first G7 summit in reunified Germany.
19th	7–9 July 1993	Template:Country	Kiichi Miyazawa	Tokyo
20th	8–10 July 1994	Template:Country	Silvio Berlusconi	Naples, Campania
21st	15–17 June 1995	Template:Country	Jean Chrétien	Halifax, Nova Scotia
22nd	27–29 June 1996	Template:Country	Jacques Chirac	Lyon, Rhône	The first summit to debut international organizations, namely the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization.<ref name="G8 paper">Kirton, John. "A Summit of Substantial Success: The Performance of the 2008 G8"; pp. 88, 89 Template:Webarchive G8 Information Centre – University of Toronto 17 July 2008.</ref>
As the G8
23rd	20–22 June 1997	Template:Country	Bill Clinton	Denver, Colorado	Russia joined the group, forming the G8.
24th	15–17 May 1998	Template:Country	Tony Blair	Birmingham, West Midlands
25th	18–20 June 1999	Template:Country	Gerhard Schröder	Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia	The first summit of the G20 major economies at Berlin.
26th	21–23 July 2000	Template:Country	Yoshirō Mori	Nago, Okinawa	South Africa was invited to the summit for the first time, and was thereafter invited annually without interruption until the 38th G8 summit in 2012. With permission from a G8 leader, other nations were invited to the summit on a periodical basis for the first time. Nigeria, Algeria, and Senegal accepted their invitations here. The World Health Organization was also invited for the first time.<ref name="G8 paper" />
27th	20–22 July 2001	Template:Country	Silvio Berlusconi	Genoa, Liguria	Leaders from Bangladesh, Mali, and El Salvador accepted their invitations here.<ref name="G8 paper" /> Demonstrator Carlo Giuliani was shot and killed by the Carabinieri during a violent demonstration. One of the largest and most violent anti-globalization movement protests occurred during the summit.<ref>Italy officials convicted over G8 Template:Webarchive, BBC News, 15 July 2008</ref> Following those events and the 11 September attacks two months later in 2001, the summits have been held at more remote locations.
28th	26–27 June 2002	Template:Country	Jean Chrétien	Kananaskis, Alberta	Russia gained permission to officially host a G8 Summit. Also, this meeting was the first Kananaskis G7/G8 Summit, as the area will host it again in 2025.
29th	1–3 June 2003	Template:Country	Jacques Chirac	Évian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie	The G8+5 was unofficially formed when China, India, Brazil, and Mexico were invited to this summit for the first time (the other member of the +5 was South Africa). Other first-time nations that were invited by the French president included Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Switzerland.<ref name="G8 paper" />
30th	8–10 June 2004	Template:Country	George W. Bush	Sea Island, Georgia	A record number of leaders from 12 different nations accepted their invitations here. Amongst a couple of veteran nations, the others were: Ghana, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Yemen, and Uganda.<ref name="G8 paper" /> The state funeral of former President Ronald Reagan took place in Washington during the summit. Many of the G8 leaders attended this funeral, along with 20 other heads of state.
31st	6–8 July 2005	Template:Country	Tony Blair	Gleneagles, Scotland	The G8+5 was officially formed. On the second day of the meeting, suicide bombers killed 52 people on the London Underground and a bus. Ethiopia and Tanzania were invited for the first time. The African Union and the International Energy Agency made their debut here.<ref name="G8 paper" /> 225,000 people took to the streets of Edinburgh as part of the Make Poverty History campaign calling for Trade Justice, Debt Relief and Better Aid. Numerous other demonstrations also took place challenging the legitimacy of the G8.<ref>David Miller "Spinning the G8" Template:Webarchive, Zednet, 13 May 2005.</ref>
32nd	15–17 July 2006	Template:Country (G8 member, not G7)<ref name="autogenerated1"/>	Vladimir Putin	Strelna, Saint Petersburg	The only G8 summit held in Russia. The International Atomic Energy Agency and UNESCO made their debut here.<ref name="G8 paper" />
33rd	6–8 June 2007	Template:Country	Angela Merkel	Heiligendamm, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania	Seven different international organizations accepted their invitations to this summit. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Commonwealth of Independent States made their debut here.<ref name="G8 paper" />
34th	7–9 July 2008	Template:Country	Yasuo Fukuda	Tōyako, Hokkaidō	Australia, Indonesia, and South Korea accepted their G8 summit invitations for the first time.<ref name="G8 paper" />
35th	8–10 July 2009	Template:Country	Silvio Berlusconi	L'Aquila, Abruzzo	This G8 summit was originally planned to be held in La Maddalena (Sardinia), but was moved to L'Aquila as a way of showing Prime Minister Berlusconi's desire to help the region after the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> With 15 invited countries, it was the most heavily attended summit in the history of the group. Angola, Denmark, Netherlands, and Spain accepted their invitations for the first time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> A record of 11 international organizations were represented in this summit. For the first time, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme, and the International Labour Organization accepted their invitations.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
36th	25–26 June 2010<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || Template:Country || Stephen Harper || Huntsville, Ontario<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||Malawi, Colombia, Haiti, and Jamaica accepted their invitations for the first time.<ref>Participants at the 2010 Muskoka Summit Template:Webarchive. G8 Information Centre. Retrieved 29 June 2010.</ref>
37th	26–27 May 2011	Template:Country	Nicolas Sarkozy	Deauville,<ref>"Le prochain G20 aura lieu à Cannes" Template:Webarchive, Le point. 12 November 2010.</ref><ref>The City of Deauville Official 2011 G8 website. Retrieved 7 February 2011. Template:Webarchive</ref> Calvados	Guinea, Niger, Côte d'Ivoire, and Tunisia accepted their invitations for the first time. The League of Arab States made its debut in the meeting.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
38th	18–19 May 2012	Template:Country	Barack Obama	Camp David, Maryland	The summit was originally planned for Chicago, along with the NATO summit,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> but on 5 March 2012 an official announcement was made that the summit would be held at the more private location of Camp David, and starting one day earlier than previously scheduled.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The second summit in which one of the leaders, in this case Vladimir Putin, declined to participate. The summit concentrated on the core leaders only, as no non-G8 leaders or international organizations were invited.
39th	17–18 June 2013	Template:Country	David Cameron	Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	As in 2012, only the core members of the G8 attended this meeting. The four main topics that were discussed here were trade, government transparency, tackling tax evasion, and the ongoing Syrian crisis.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
As the G7
40th	4–5 June 2014	Template:Country	Herman Van Rompuy José Manuel Barroso	Brussels, Belgium	This summit was originally planned to be held in Sochi, Russia, but was relocated, with Russia disinvited, due to the latter's annexation of Crimea.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Thus, the grouping reverted from G8 back to G7. (There was an emergency meeting in March 2014 in The Hague.)
41st	7–8 June 2015	Template:Country	Angela Merkel	Schloss Elmau, Bavaria<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	The summit was focused on the global economy, as well as on key issues regarding foreign, security, and development policy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Global Apollo Programme was also on the agenda.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
42nd	26–27 May 2016<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Country	Shinzō Abe	Shima, Mie Prefecture<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	The G7 leaders aimed to address challenges affecting the growth of the world economy, like slowdowns in emerging markets and drops in price of oil. The G7 also issued a warning to the United Kingdom that "a UK exit from the EU would reverse the trend towards greater global trade and investment, and the jobs they create and is a further serious risk to growth."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Commitment to an EU–Japan Free Trade Agreement.
43rd	26–27 May 2017<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Country	Paolo Gentiloni	Taormina, Sicily<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||The Host leader was the Prime Minister of Italy, originally Matteo Renzi. He formally resigned on 12 December 2016. The G7 leaders emphasized common endeavours: ending the Syrian crisis, fulfilling the UN mission in Libya, and reducing the presence of ISIS in Syria and Iraq. North Korea was urged to comply with UN resolutions, and Russian responsibility for the Russo-Ukrainian war was stressed. Supporting economic activity and ensuring price stability was demanded, while inequalities in trade and gender were called to be challenged. It was agreed to help countries in creating conditions that address the drivers of migration: ending hunger, increasing competitiveness, and advancing global health security.<ref name="Come funziona il G7">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
44th	8–9 June 2018	Template:Country<ref name="gcnews">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || Justin Trudeau || La Malbaie, Québec (Charlevoix)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||The summit took place at the Manoir Richelieu. Prime Minister Trudeau announced five themes for Canada's G7 presidency, which began in January 2018. Climate, along with commerce trades, was one of the main themes. "Working together on climate change, oceans and clean energy."<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The final statement contained 28 points. US President Donald Trump did not agree to the economic section of the final statement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The G7 members also announced to recall sanctions and to be ready to take further restrictive measures against Russian Federation for its failure to implement the Minsk Protocol completely.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite news</ref>
45th	24–26 August 2019	Template:Country<ref name="presidency rotation 2015-2020">Template:Cite news</ref>	Emmanuel Macron	Biarritz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques	It was agreed at the summit that the World Trade Organization, "with regard to intellectual property protection, to settle disputes more swiftly and to eliminate unfair trade practices", "to simplify regulatory barriers and modernize international taxation within the framework of the OECD", "to ensure that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons and to foster peace and stability in the region", and "to support a truce in Libya that will lead to a long-term ceasefire". The summit also addressed the Russian military intervention in Ukraine and the 2019 Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests.<ref name="scmp">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="xinhua">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="lh">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="rthk">Template:Cite news</ref>
46th	Cancelled	Template:Country (original host, none)<ref name="presidency rotation 2015-2020"/>	Donald Trump (original host figure)	Camp David, Maryland (cancelled)	The summit was originally to be held in Camp David, Maryland, but was officially postponed on 19 March 2020 due to the concerns over the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, and was planned to be replaced by a global videoconference,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> but in the end, no meeting was held.
47th	11–13 June 2021<ref name="g7UK">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || Template:Country|| Boris Johnson || Carbis Bay, Cornwall, England<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>||The summit reached provisional agreement on a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15%.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
48th	26–28 June 2022<ref name="G7 Germany 2022">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || Template:Country<ref name="Come funziona il G7"/> || Olaf Scholz || Schloss Elmau, Bavaria<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Discussed with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy virtually, and the statement on support for Ukraine was issued.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Also discussed with invited guests about global food security, gender equality and "Investing in a Better Future" on climate, energy and health, and G7 Leaders' Communiqué was issued after the summit meetings.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
49th	19–21 May 2023<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Country<ref name="Come funziona il G7"/>	Fumio Kishida	Hiroshima<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	At the situation of the world facing multiple crises, including Russian invasion of Ukraine, climate crisis, pandemic, and geopolitical crisis, the G7 discussed to counter these crisis. The G7 affirmed to uphold "the free and open international order" based on "the rule of law", and strengthened the G7's outreach to the emerging and developing countries.<ref name="JF_2023-05-13">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> The long guest list reflects the attempts to woo what many call the "Global South", a term used for developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, all of whom have complex political and economic ties to both Russia and China.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended two sessions as guest and got a lot of attention.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
50th	13–15 June 2024	Template:Country<ref name="Come funziona il G7"/>	Giorgia Meloni	Fasano, Puglia	The 50th G7 summit hosted many guest international leaders representing Nations and International organizations such as the UN, IMF, and the World Bank. The summit also hosted Pope Francis of the Vatican in his first appearance at a G7 Summit. The Summit also hosted President Zelensky of Ukraine for the 3rd year since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Indian Prime Minister too attended the summit. The topics discussed included the ongoing war in Ukraine, The Gaza war, climate change, China, Migration, and the Economy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
51st	15–17 June 2025<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Country<ref name=":4" />	Mark Carney	Kananaskis, Alberta<ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	The second time the Kananaskis area will host the G7 Summit.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Host leader is the Prime Minister of Canada, originally Justin Trudeau. He announced his resignation on January 6, 2025. The 2025 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election concluded on March 9, 2025, and the Liberal party elected Mark Carney to be its next leader and Prime Minister of Canada.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Current leaders

• Mark Carney portrait May 2025 (4).jpg

  Template:Flag
  Mark Carney,
  Prime Minister

• Emmanuel Macron February 2025.jpg

  Template:Flag
  Emmanuel Macron,
  President

• 2024-08-21 Event, CDU, Wahlkampf mit Friedrich Merz in Erfurt 2024 STP 3041 by Stepro (cropped).jpg

  Template:Flag
  Friedrich Merz,
  Chancellor

• Giorgia Meloni Official 2023 crop.jpg

  Template:Flag
  Giorgia Meloni,
  Prime Minister

• Ishiba Shigeru 20241001 (cropped).jpg

  Template:Flag
  Shigeru Ishiba,
  Prime Minister

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer Portrait (cropped).jpg

  Template:Flag
  Keir Starmer,
  Prime Minister

• TrumpPortrait.jpg

  Template:Flag
  Donald Trump,
  President

• Antonio Costa Portrait 2024 (cropped).jpg

  Template:Flag
  António Costa,
  President of the European Council

• Ursula von der Leyen 2024.jpg

  Template:Flag
  Ursula von der Leyen,
  President of the European Commission

Leaders of G7 members

Member	Leader(s)		Minister of Finance		Central Bank Governor
Template:Flag	Prime Minister	Mark Carney	Minister of Finance	François-Philippe Champagne	Governor	Tiff Macklem
Template:Flag	President	Emmanuel Macron	Minister of the Economy and Finance	Éric Lombard	Governor	François Villeroy de Galhau
Template:Flag	Chancellor	Friedrich Merz	Minister of Finance	Lars Klingbeil	President	Joachim Nagel
Template:Flag	Prime Minister	Giorgia Meloni	Minister of Economy and Finance	Giancarlo Giorgetti	Governor	Fabio Panetta
Template:Flag	Prime Minister	Shigeru Ishiba	Minister of Finance	Katsunobu Katō	Governor	Kazuo Ueda
Template:Flag	Prime Minister	Keir Starmer	Chancellor of the Exchequer	Rachel Reeves	Governor	Andrew Bailey
Template:Flag	President	Donald Trump	Secretary of the Treasury	Scott Bessent	Chair	Jerome Powell
Template:Flag	Council President<ref name="EU rep">"Van Rompuy and Barroso to both represent EU at G20" Template:Webarchive. EUobserver.com. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2012. "The permanent president of the EU Council, former Belgian premier Herman Van Rompuy, also represents the bloc abroad in foreign policy and security matters ... in other areas, such as climate change, President Barroso will speak on behalf of the 27-member club."</ref>	António Costa	Commissioner for Economy	Valdis Dombrovskis	President	Christine Lagarde
	Commission President<ref name="EU rep"/>	Ursula von der Leyen

Member country data

The G7 is composed of the seven wealthiest advanced countries. The People's Republic of China, according to its data, would be the second-largest with 17.90% of the world net wealth,<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but is excluded because of its relatively low net wealth per adult and Human Development Index.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> As of 2021, Crédit Suisse reports the G7 (without the European Union) represents around 53% of the global net wealth;<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> including the EU, the G7 accounts for over 60% of the global net wealth.<ref name=":3" /> The combined population of the G7 countries is about 10% of world population.<ref name="n026">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Overview of G7 members

Member	Trade mil. USD (2014)	Nominal GDP (USD million)<ref name=":5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	PPP GDP (Int$ million)<ref name=":5" />	Nominal GDP per capita ($)<ref name=":5" />	PPP GDP per capita (Int$)<ref name=":5" />	HDI (2022)	Population (2022–2023)	P5	OECD	DAC	OIF	C'wth	NATO	Economic classification (IMF)<ref name=":5" />	Currency
Template:Left Template:Flag	947,200	2,089,672	2,385,124	52,722	60,177	0.935	39,891,963	Template:No	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Advanced	Canadian dollar
Template:Left Template:Flag	1,212,300	2,923,489	3,872,729	44,408	58,828	0.910	68,042,591	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:Yes		Euro
Template:Left Template:Flag	2,866,600	4,308,854	5,545,656	51,383	66,132	0.950	84,270,625	Template:No	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	Template:Yes
Template:Left Template:Flag	948,600	2,169,745	3,195,548	36,812	44,160	0.906	58,815,463	Template:No	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	Template:Yes
Template:Left Template:Flag	1,522,400	4,409,738	6,456,527	35,385	51,809	0.920	124,470,000	Template:No	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	Template:Maybe		Yen
Template:Left Template:Flag	1,189,400	3,158,938	3,846,931	46,371	56,471	0.940	67,026,292	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:Yes	Template:Yes		Pound
Template:Left Template:Flag	3,944,000	26,854,599	26,854,599	80,034	80,034	0.927	334,748,000	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	Template:Yes		US dollar
Template:Left Template:Nowrap	4,485,000	17,818,782	25,399,093	39,940	56,929	0.899 (2021)	446,828,803	Template:No	Template:Maybe	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Advanced / Emerging and Developing<ref>23 out of 27 EU countries are classified as advanced. 4 out of 27 EU countries are classified by the IMF as Emerging and Developing Europe</ref>	Euro
Total (excl.Template:NbspEU)	12,630,500	45,915,035	52,157,114	59,072	67,103	0.922	777,264,934

Reception

According to the group hegemony theory, the G7 has helped stabilise and perpetuate an inequitable world economic order.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

2015 protests

Template:Further About 7,500 protesters led by the group 'Stop-G7' demonstrated during the 2015 summit in Bavaria, Germany. About 300 of those reached the 3 m high and 7 km long security fence surrounding the summit location. The protesters questioned the legitimacy of the G7 to make decisions that could affect the whole world. Authorities had banned demonstrations in the area closest to the summit location and 20,000 police were on duty in Southern Bavaria to keep activists and protesters from interfering with the summit.<ref name=Spiegel07June>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Bild03June>Template:Cite news</ref>

China

In March 2025, the People's Republic of China's foreign ministry criticized the G7 for a statement that raised concerns about the PRC's nuclear buildup, maritime actions in the South China Sea, and market policies.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• Build Back Better World
• Capitalism
• D-10 Strategy Forum
• Developed country
• G4 (EU)
• G6 (EU)
• G8
• G8+5
• G10 currencies
• G20
• Great power
• Group of Twelve (G12)
• Junior 8
• List of country groupings
• List of G7 leaders
• List of multilateral free trade agreements
• OECD
• Quint
• BRICS
• MIKTA

Relations between G7 countries

• Canada–France relations
• Canada–Germany relations
• Canada–Italy relations
• Canada–Japan relations
• Canada–United Kingdom relations
• Canada–United States relations
• France–Germany relations
• France–Italy relations
• France–Japan relations
• France–United Kingdom relations
• France–United States relations
• Germany–Italy relations
• Germany–Japan relations
• Germany–United Kingdom relations
• Germany–United States relations
• Italy–Japan relations
• Italy–United Kingdom relations
• Italy–United States relations
• Japan–United Kingdom relations
• Japan–United States relations
• United Kingdom–United States relations
• Canada–European Union relations
• Japan–European Union relations
• United Kingdom–European Union relations
• United States–European Union relations

External links

• 2025 G7 presidency Canada
• 2024 G7 presidency Italy
• 2023 G7 presidency Japan Template:Webarchive
• 2022 G7 presidency Germany
• 2021 G7 presidency UK
• 2019 G7 presidency France
• G7/8 Information Centre – University of Toronto
• The EU engages in actions and discussions with other members of the G7 on topics relating to agriculture