UK to host G20 summit in 2027: key facts

Britain will host the G20 in 2027. The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the invitation on 22 November 2025 while leaders met in Johannesburg, South Africa. We’ve set out what the G20 is, why hosting matters for the UK, and the key numbers you can teach or revise with confidence. According to the European Council, this year’s summit runs 22–23 November 2025 in Johannesburg.

Quick refresher: the G20 brings together 19 major economies plus two regional blocs - the European Union and, since 2023, the African Union. It’s a forum where leaders and finance chiefs coordinate on the big economic questions of the day, from trade and tax to climate and debt.

Check the numbers you’ll see in textbooks and exam mark schemes: taken together, G20 members account for around 85% of global GDP, over 75% of world trade and roughly two‑thirds of the world’s population. Those figures come directly from the current G20 presidency in South Africa and from the European Commission.

Hosting doesn’t hand the UK special powers, but it does mean setting the year’s agenda and chairing the final leaders’ meeting. The presidency rotates each year and is supported by a “troika” of the previous, current and next hosts to keep work on track. In 2025 the troika is Brazil–South Africa–United States; the UK takes the baton in 2027.

Why it matters for jobs and trade: the UK government points out that G20 members include 17 of Britain’s top 20 export markets and 18 of our top 20 sources of foreign direct investment. Over the past three years, companies from G20 countries have launched more than 3,800 projects in the UK, supporting nearly 200,000 jobs. Those are government figures published alongside the 2027 hosting announcement.

Real‑world examples help. Shinhan Bank of the Republic of Korea plans to facilitate £2 billion of UK investment over five years to 2030, including energy, digital assets and infrastructure. Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation is set to facilitate up to £7.5 billion for UK infrastructure and clean energy by 2035. Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo has been expanding its Rotherham site, with recent planning approvals recorded by the local council.

A short history you can teach: the G20 began as a finance ministers’ forum in 1999 and moved to leaders’ level during the 2008 financial crisis. The UK last hosted in 2009, when leaders agreed a package worth about $1.1 trillion for the IMF, trade finance and development banks - a headline figure confirmed in the official London Summit communiqué.

What the G20 can and cannot do: it isn’t a world government and it doesn’t pass laws. Instead, leaders publish communiqués and ministerial statements, then each member implements (or doesn’t) at home. That’s why follow‑up matters as much as summit day. For students, it’s a neat case study in soft power and peer pressure shaping economic policy.

What to watch on the road to 2027: South Africa’s presidency has highlighted inequality, disaster risk and debt as priority themes, including a new expert taskforce led by Joseph Stiglitz and an Africa debt panel chaired by Trevor Manuel. These show how presidencies can steer debates that later hosts, including the UK, will inherit and progress.

Media‑literacy moment: when you see big summit numbers - billions for investment or jobs supported - look for the primary source and the timeframe. For instance, the Sumitomo figure is “up to £7.5 billion” by 2035, while Shinhan’s plan runs to 2030. Time‑bound pledges are not the same as money arriving tomorrow.

For classrooms and study groups, try this framing: the G7 is a club of advanced economies; the G20 is broader and includes large emerging economies as well as the EU and AU. That wider table makes agreements harder - and more meaningful when they land. Keep an eye on the presidency’s agenda and the final leaders’ declaration to see what actually sticks.

What this could mean for you: by 2027, expect UK‑hosted meetings on trade, energy, health, digital rules and climate finance. If you work in education, economics or business, the summit offers live case studies in how international coordination works - and why it sometimes stalls - backed by official communiqués you can read and critique with your students.