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Alliance · Economic club

G7

Group of Seven

The G7 is a club of seven rich democracies: the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Canada. The European Union also takes part. Their leaders meet once a year. The group has no treaty, no headquarters and no staff. The seven have 10% of the world's people and 45% of its economy (2025).

Updated October 2026 · Members and summits from the G7 Research Group, University of Toronto

Leaders of the G7 and of invited countries stand in two rows on a blue stage between giant G7 letters, with Lake Geneva and mountains behind them
Leaders of the G7 and guest countries at Évian, France, June 16, 2026. Photo: Dati Bendo, European Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Members
7
Canada joined last, in 1976
First summit
1975
At Rambouillet, France
People
790 million
10% of the world
Economy
$52.5tn
45% of the world's, 2025
Chair in 2026
France
The United States in 2027

Which countries are in the G7?

The seven members are the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Canada. It began in spring 1973, when US Treasury Secretary George Shultz invited the finance ministers of Britain, France and West Germany to an informal meeting in the White House library. Japan's joined later that year. Two of those ministers, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and Helmut Schmidt, became France's president and West Germany's chancellor in 1974. Giscard hosted the first summit at the Château de Rambouillet on November 15 to 17, 1975, after the oil shock and the end of fixed exchange rates.

US President Gerald Ford called a second summit in June 1976 and added Canada, which France had kept out of Rambouillet. Ford's notes show France accepted Canada "as long as no commitment for future meetings." The European Community, now the EU, has taken part since 1977 but is not one of the seven.

World map. The seven G7 members are blue: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Russia, a member from 1998 to 2014, when the group was the G8, is rust.
  • Member
  • In the G8 from 1998 to 2014
  • Not a member

How the G7 grew

Countries that joined in each year, and the total after

  1. FranceGermanyItalyJapanUnited KingdomUnited States19756 founders
  2. Canada19767
  3. Russia19988
  4. Russia left20147, Russia out

All 7 members and the year each joined

Why is Russia not in the G7?

From 1998 to 2014 Russia was a full member, and the group was called the G8. The seven drew Russia in step by step after the Cold War. Russia joined the political talks in 1994. Denver in 1997 was called the "Summit of the Eight." At Birmingham in 1998 Russia became a full member. After Russia took Crimea from Ukraine, the others suspended their participation in the G8 on March 24, 2014. On January 13, 2017 Russia said it would leave for good.

President Trump has called for Russia to return. At the June 2025 summit in Kananaskis he called its removal a "very big mistake." At Évian in June 2026 he signed the leaders' statement promising stronger sanctions on Russia's oil and gas.

Russia and the G7

  1. 1994Russia joins the G7's political talks
  2. 1997Denver billed as the "Summit of the Eight"
  3. 1998Russia becomes a full member, the G7 becomes the G8
  4. 2006Russia hosts its only summit, St Petersburg
  5. 2014After Crimea, the others suspend the G8 and meet without Russia
  6. 2017Russia announces it will leave for good
  7. 2025Trump calls the removal "a very big mistake"

Why aren't China and India in the G7?

The G7 sees itself as a club of rich democracies. Canada's government calls it a forum of "advanced democratic economies," while the IMF classifies China and India as emerging economies. China's GDP was $19.6 trillion in 2025, 3.9 times Germany's. India's was $3.9 trillion, just behind Japan and the UK. GDP per person was $13,968 in China and $2,675 in India, against $35,973 in Japan, the lowest in the G7.

China's leader Hu Jintao met the G8 at Évian in 2003. China attended outreach meetings from 2005 to 2009 and has not been invited since. In 2021 China's embassy in London said: "The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone." India has been a guest 13 times since 2003.

The 10 largest economies, 2025

Full ranking →
  1. United States$30.8tn
  2. China$19.6tn
  3. Germany$5.0tn
  4. Japan$4.4tn
  5. United Kingdom$4.0tn
  6. India$3.9tn
  7. France$3.4tn
  8. Russia$2.6tn
  9. Italy$2.6tn
  10. Canada$2.3tn
  • G7
  • In the G8, 1998 to 2014
  • Not a member
GDP at market exchange rates, IMF.

Is the G7 shrinking?

As a share of the world economy, yes. At market exchange rates the seven had 61% of world GDP in 1980, 66% in 1990 and 50% in 2010. The IMF projects 42% by 2031. At purchasing power parity their share fell from 52% in 1980 to 28% in 2025. At parity China alone has 19.6% of the world, more than the United States at 14.6%.

The G7 has a fifth as many people as BRICS but its economy is about two thirds larger at market rates. At parity BRICS is bigger, about 39% of the world against the G7's 28%. G7 members account for nearly half of world military spending.

The G7 and BRICS, share of the world

  • G7
  • BRICS

People, 2025

790 million · 9.6%
3.94 billion · 48%

Economy, 2025

$52.5tn · 45%
$31.7tn · 27%

Military spending, 2025

$1.37tn · 47%
$668bn · 23%
People: UN. Economy: GDP at market exchange rates, IMF. Military spending: SIPRI, as a share of its world total of $2.9 trillion. BRICS counts its 10 members, without Saudi Arabia. Military spending leaves out Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates, which have no figure.

What does the G7 do?

The leaders meet once a year. The presidency rotates: France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada. France holds it in 2026, the US in 2027. Each leader's representative, called a sherpa, prepares the agenda. France has hosted eight summits, more than any other member.

The leaders have not agreed a joint communiqué since 2024. At Kananaskis in June 2025 President Trump left after the first day, citing the Israel-Iran war. Évian in June 2026 produced nine documents, promising stronger sanctions on Russia and more air defense for Ukraine. In January 2026 Trump threatened tariffs on France, Germany and the UK over Greenland. On September 8, 2026 Canada imposed counter-tariffs on US goods.

  • Price cap on Russian oilSince 2022

    Firms in the G7 and EU may ship or insure Russian oil only at or below a cap, $60 a barrel from December 2022. The EU and the UK cut theirs to $44.10 in 2026; the US kept $60.

  • Loans to Ukraine$50 billion

    About $50 billion in loans agreed in 2024, repaid from profits on frozen Russian central bank assets. The assets stay frozen. Ukraine had received about $45 billion by April 2026.

  • Minimum tax on big companiesAt least 15%

    G7 finance ministers agreed the 15% floor in June 2021. That October 136 countries signed up. In 2025 the G7 agreed to exempt US-based companies from two of its rules.

  • Debt relief2005

    In June 2005 G8 finance ministers agreed to cancel about $40 billion owed by 18 poor countries to the IMF, the World Bank and the African Development Fund.

  • Financial Action Task ForceSince 1989

    The world's watchdog against money laundering, created by the G7 at its Paris summit in July 1989.

Is it in the G7?

Short answers for the countries people ask about most.

Is Russia in the G7?

No

A full member from 1998, when the group became the G8. After Russia took Crimea in 2014 the others suspended the G8, and in 2017 Russia said it would leave for good.

Is China in the G7?

No

China attended outreach meetings with the G8 in 2003 and from 2005 to 2009. It has not been invited since.

Is India in the G7?

No

Évian in 2026 was India's 13th G7 summit and Prime Minister Modi's 7th in a row.

Is Australia in the G7?

No

Australia was a guest in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025. It was not invited to Évian in 2026.

Is South Korea in the G7?

No

South Korea was a guest in 2008, 2009, 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2026. The G7 has no procedure for adding members.

Is Spain in the G7?

No

Spain is a permanent guest of the G20. At purchasing power parity its economy is a little larger than Canada's.

Is Brazil in the G7?

No

President Lula has attended as a guest 10 times, from 2003 to Évian in 2026.

Is the European Union in the G7?

Takes part

The EU has attended every summit since 1977 but is not counted among the seven. It hosted once, in Brussels in 2014.

Is Canada in the G7?

Yes

Canada joined in 1976, the last of the seven. It hosted the 2025 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.

Is Italy in the G7?

Yes

Italy is a founding member. Its prime minister, Aldo Moro, attended the first summit at Rambouillet in 1975.

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