The G-20 economies include the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and China. There are a total of 19 countries that are individually represented; the countries within the European Union that are not individually represented are represented by the European Commission and the European Central Bank.
The G-20, also known as the Group of Twenty, is an international forum used by the governments and central banks of 20 major economies. The forum was founded in 1999 with the goal of studying, reviewing and promoting high-level discussion of policy issues having to do with the promotion of international financial stability. The G-20 economies account for 80 percent of the gross world's product, 80 percent of world trade and 66 percent of the world's population. Despite its founding in 1999, the G-20 heads of state did not meet until November 2008.
The G-20 officially replaced the G8 in 2009 and serves as the world's primary economic council of wealthy nations as of 2015. Since 2011, all G-20 summits have been held annually and the heads of the G-20 nations met semi-annually between 2008 and 2011. Non-member Norway has often criticized the G-20 and European Union member Poland has expressed interest in individual representation.