diff --git a/src/core/layout/qgslayouttable.cpp b/src/core/layout/qgslayouttable.cpp
index 17eb249e44ad..d4cedc3d1308 100644
--- a/src/core/layout/qgslayouttable.cpp
+++ b/src/core/layout/qgslayouttable.cpp
@@ -433,6 +433,10 @@ void QgsLayoutTable::render( QgsLayoutItemRenderContext &context, const QRectF &
     int col = 0;
     for ( const QgsLayoutTableColumn &column : qgis::as_const( mColumns ) )
     {
+      std::unique_ptr< QgsExpressionContextScope > headerCellScope = qgis::make_unique< QgsExpressionContextScope >();
+      headerCellScope->setVariable( QStringLiteral( "column_number" ), col + 1, true );
+      QgsExpressionContextScopePopper popper( context.renderContext().expressionContext(), headerCellScope.release() );
+
       const QgsTextFormat headerFormat = textFormatForHeader( col );
       //draw background
       p->save();
@@ -1095,6 +1099,10 @@ bool QgsLayoutTable::calculateMaxColumnWidths()
     }
     else if ( mHeaderMode != QgsLayoutTable::NoHeaders )
     {
+      std::unique_ptr< QgsExpressionContextScope > headerCellScope = qgis::make_unique< QgsExpressionContextScope >();
+      headerCellScope->setVariable( QStringLiteral( "column_number" ), i + 1, true );
+      QgsExpressionContextScopePopper popper( context.expressionContext(), headerCellScope.release() );
+
       //column width set to automatic, so check content size
       const QStringList multiLineSplit = col.heading().split( '\n' );
       currentCellTextWidth = QgsTextRenderer::textWidth( context, textFormatForHeader( i ), multiLineSplit ) / context.convertToPainterUnits( 1, QgsUnitTypes::RenderMillimeters );
@@ -1168,6 +1176,10 @@ bool QgsLayoutTable::calculateMaxRowHeights()
   int i = 0;
   for ( const QgsLayoutTableColumn &col : qgis::as_const( mColumns ) )
   {
+    std::unique_ptr< QgsExpressionContextScope > headerCellScope = qgis::make_unique< QgsExpressionContextScope >();
+    headerCellScope->setVariable( QStringLiteral( "column_number" ), i + 1, true );
+    QgsExpressionContextScopePopper popper( context.expressionContext(), headerCellScope.release() );
+
     const QgsTextFormat cellFormat = textFormatForHeader( i );
     const double headerDescentMm = QgsTextRenderer::fontMetrics( context, cellFormat, QgsTextRenderer::FONT_WORKAROUND_SCALE ).descent() / QgsTextRenderer::FONT_WORKAROUND_SCALE  / context.convertToPainterUnits( 1, QgsUnitTypes::RenderMillimeters );
     //height
diff --git a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutattributetablewidget.cpp b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutattributetablewidget.cpp
index c68942f1d584..790e5484ba72 100644
--- a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutattributetablewidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutattributetablewidget.cpp
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ QgsLayoutAttributeTableWidget::QgsLayoutAttributeTableWidget( QgsLayoutFrame *fr
   mContentFontToolButton->setMode( QgsFontButton::ModeTextRenderer );
   mHeaderFontToolButton->setMode( QgsFontButton::ModeTextRenderer );
 
+  mContentFontToolButton->registerExpressionContextGenerator( this );
+  mHeaderFontToolButton->registerExpressionContextGenerator( this );
+
   blockAllSignals( true );
 
   mResizeModeComboBox->addItem( tr( "Use Existing Frames" ), QgsLayoutMultiFrame::UseExistingFrames );
@@ -167,6 +170,27 @@ void QgsLayoutAttributeTableWidget::setMasterLayout( QgsMasterLayoutInterface *m
     mItemPropertiesWidget->setMasterLayout( masterLayout );
 }
 
+QgsExpressionContext QgsLayoutAttributeTableWidget::createExpressionContext() const
+{
+  QgsExpressionContext context;
+
+  // frames include their parent multiframe's context, so prefer that if possible
+  if ( mFrame )
+    context = mFrame->createExpressionContext();
+  else if ( mTable )
+    context = mTable->createExpressionContext();
+
+  std::unique_ptr< QgsExpressionContextScope > cellScope = qgis::make_unique< QgsExpressionContextScope >();
+  cellScope->setVariable( QStringLiteral( "row_number" ), 1, true );
+  cellScope->setVariable( QStringLiteral( "column_number" ), 1, true );
+  context.appendScope( cellScope.release() );
+
+  context.setHighlightedVariables( { QStringLiteral( "row_number" ),
+                                     QStringLiteral( "column_number" )} );
+
+  return context;
+}
+
 bool QgsLayoutAttributeTableWidget::setNewItem( QgsLayoutItem *item )
 {
   QgsLayoutFrame *frame = qobject_cast< QgsLayoutFrame * >( item );
diff --git a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutattributetablewidget.h b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutattributetablewidget.h
index e29b89f42d80..8d4eb862b141 100644
--- a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutattributetablewidget.h
+++ b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutattributetablewidget.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class QgsLayoutFrame;
  * \note This class is not a part of public API
  * \since QGIS 3.12
  */
-class GUI_EXPORT QgsLayoutAttributeTableWidget: public QgsLayoutItemBaseWidget, private Ui::QgsLayoutAttributeTableWidgetBase
+class GUI_EXPORT QgsLayoutAttributeTableWidget: public QgsLayoutItemBaseWidget, public QgsExpressionContextGenerator, private Ui::QgsLayoutAttributeTableWidgetBase
 {
     Q_OBJECT
   public:
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsLayoutAttributeTableWidget: public QgsLayoutItemBaseWidget,
 
     void setReportTypeString( const QString &string ) override;
     void setMasterLayout( QgsMasterLayoutInterface *masterLayout ) override;
+    QgsExpressionContext createExpressionContext() const override;
 
   protected:
 
diff --git a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutmanualtablewidget.cpp b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutmanualtablewidget.cpp
index 4c42f817aad4..c1eff732a5b0 100644
--- a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutmanualtablewidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutmanualtablewidget.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ QgsLayoutManualTableWidget::QgsLayoutManualTableWidget( QgsLayoutFrame *frame )
   mContentFontToolButton->setMode( QgsFontButton::ModeTextRenderer );
   mHeaderFontToolButton->setMode( QgsFontButton::ModeTextRenderer );
 
+  mContentFontToolButton->registerExpressionContextGenerator( this );
+  mHeaderFontToolButton->registerExpressionContextGenerator( this );
+
   blockAllSignals( true );
 
   mResizeModeComboBox->addItem( tr( "Use Existing Frames" ), QgsLayoutMultiFrame::UseExistingFrames );
@@ -107,6 +110,27 @@ void QgsLayoutManualTableWidget::setMasterLayout( QgsMasterLayoutInterface *mast
     mItemPropertiesWidget->setMasterLayout( masterLayout );
 }
 
+QgsExpressionContext QgsLayoutManualTableWidget::createExpressionContext() const
+{
+  QgsExpressionContext context;
+
+  // frames include their parent multiframe's context, so prefer that if possible
+  if ( mFrame )
+    context = mFrame->createExpressionContext();
+  else if ( mTable )
+    context = mTable->createExpressionContext();
+
+  std::unique_ptr< QgsExpressionContextScope > cellScope = qgis::make_unique< QgsExpressionContextScope >();
+  cellScope->setVariable( QStringLiteral( "row_number" ), 1, true );
+  cellScope->setVariable( QStringLiteral( "column_number" ), 1, true );
+  context.appendScope( cellScope.release() );
+
+  context.setHighlightedVariables( { QStringLiteral( "row_number" ),
+                                     QStringLiteral( "column_number" )} );
+
+  return context;
+}
+
 bool QgsLayoutManualTableWidget::setNewItem( QgsLayoutItem *item )
 {
   QgsLayoutFrame *frame = qobject_cast< QgsLayoutFrame * >( item );
diff --git a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutmanualtablewidget.h b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutmanualtablewidget.h
index 44943496948f..8aa914208fd4 100644
--- a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutmanualtablewidget.h
+++ b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutmanualtablewidget.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class QgsLayoutFrame;
  * \note This class is not a part of public API
  * \since QGIS 3.12
  */
-class GUI_EXPORT QgsLayoutManualTableWidget: public QgsLayoutItemBaseWidget, private Ui::QgsLayoutManualTableWidgetBase
+class GUI_EXPORT QgsLayoutManualTableWidget: public QgsLayoutItemBaseWidget, public QgsExpressionContextGenerator, private Ui::QgsLayoutManualTableWidgetBase
 {
     Q_OBJECT
   public:
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsLayoutManualTableWidget: public QgsLayoutItemBaseWidget, pri
     QgsLayoutManualTableWidget( QgsLayoutFrame *frame );
 
     void setMasterLayout( QgsMasterLayoutInterface *masterLayout ) override;
+    QgsExpressionContext createExpressionContext() const override;
 
   protected: