Members of which group together represent about two-thirds of the world's population and about 85 per cent of global GDP?

The members of the Group of Twenty (G20) together account for about 85 per cent of global GDP, more than 75 per cent of world trade, and about two-thirds of the world's population.

About the G20:

It was formed in September 1999, after the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, as a forum for finance ministers and central bank governors of major economies.

After the global financial crisis of 2008, it was upgraded to the level of heads of state and government. The first G20 Leaders' Summit was held in Washington, D.C., in November 2008.

It has no permanent secretariat. A "troika" of the previous, current and next presidencies guides its work.

It works through two tracks: the "Finance Track" and the "Sherpa Track".

Members:

• 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
• The European Union.
• The African Union, which became a permanent member at the New Delhi Summit in September 2023.

India's G20 presidency (2022-23):

• India held the presidency from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023.
• Its theme was "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" ("One Earth, One Family, One Future").
• The Leaders' Summit was held at "Bharat Mandapam", Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on 9-10 September 2023.
• The "New Delhi Leaders' Declaration" was adopted unanimously.
• The "Global Biofuels Alliance" and the "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor" (IMEC) were announced at the summit.

Recent and upcoming presidencies:

Indonesia (2022, Bali), India (2023), Brazil (2024, Rio de Janeiro), South Africa (2025, Johannesburg, the first G20 summit in Africa), and the United States (2026).

Comparison with other groups:

• G7: seven advanced economies; about 10 per cent of the world's population.
• BRICS: expanded in 2024-25 with new members such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Indonesia; together they have nearly half of the world's population.

Why not the other options?

• ✗The G7 represents a much smaller share of the world's population.
• ✗BRICS has a larger share of population but a smaller share of global GDP than the G20.
• ✗The SCO is a Eurasian security and economic organisation.