G20 summit: What is it and why are world leaders meeting in India?

Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty were greeted at Indira Gandhi International Airport

Leaders from all over the world are meeting up in Delhi, in India, for the G20 summit on 9 September 2023.

The main aim of the meeting is for leaders to get together and to talk about the world's economies and the issues countries are facing.

That could include issues such as the ongoing recovery after the coronavirus pandemic, the cost of living crisis, the war in Ukraine and climate change.

For Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, it's also an historic occasion, as he'll be the first UK PM of Indian heritage to visit the country. His wife, Akshata Murty, was born and grew up in India and is the daughter of one of India's richest men.

So what is the G20 and who's invited?

What is the G20?

This picture shows world leaders meeting at the 2019 G20 summit in Japan.

The Group of Twenty (G20) is a club of countries who meet up to discuss plans for the world economy - which is the making and selling of things.

It's made up of 19 of the world's largest economies plus a representative from the European Union.

Meetings are held every year and last for two days.

The location the G20 summit is held in changes each year, and whichever country it takes place in, the leader of that country will be in charge of the meeting that year.

The first meeting, or summit, took place in US capital Washington DC in November 2008. The idea was originally suggested by former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin.

This G20 meeting is in India, and Brazil will host the next G20 meeting in 2024. The UK last hosted a summit in 2009.

A smaller meeting called the G7 summit also takes place each year with seven of the world's richest countries.

Which countries are in the G20?

The G20 represents more than 85% of all the money in the world and includes:

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK and the US.

Other countries can be invited to take part in summits and members aren't necessarily the richest countries in the world. For example, Spain is always invited as a guest.

Members don't always agree on things as they try to look after the interests of their own countries.

Why isn't every country invited?

Many people believe if there are too many countries in a group like this, it becomes more difficult to make decisions.

Also two of the most powerful leaders in the world were on the guest list, but aren't turning up.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin will be missing, for the second year in a row, and President Xi of China isn't coming either.

What are they going to talk about?

Rishi Sunak spoke to reporters while travelling to Delhi

Leaders at the summit get together to talk about important money and economic issues, climate change, sustainable energy.

It makes sense for countries to talk to each other and link up their plans because their economies are so connected.

World leaders can also meet up with other world leaders for one-to-one chats, for instance, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to work on a possible trade deal between India and the UK.

The problem is that each country wants the best for their own people, so sometimes it's difficult for the leaders to agree on everything.

Also the war in Ukraine might make agreeing on things harder between some countries as not every country feels the same way about the war or shares a view on who to support, and how.