Abstract Group decision making has been studied from several viewpoints and a variety of methods has been proposed. However, in the literature on solving multiobjective optimization problems, the main focus has been on supporting a single decision maker. We conducted a systematic literature review to examine and synthesize the state-of-the-art of multiobjective optimization methods developed for group decision making. We analyze group decision making methods of multiobjective optimization according to how preferences of several decision makers are incorporated into the solution process, how to select the most preferred solution for the group, different types of decision makers, types of groups and how the group is to operate during the solution process. In addition, we identify the key issues in the literature that are required to be considered in further method development to increase the methods’ applicability in solving real-world problems. Finally, we guide how to select a method for solving real-world multiobjective optimization problems with multiple decision makers and suggest future research directions.