An annual snapshot of the state of the think tank sector across the globe.
The On Think Tanks annual State of the Sector Report provides a comprehensive assessment of the think tank landscape worldwide. This 2024 edition is the fifth publication in the series. Drawing on survey responses from nearly 300 organisations across 95 countries, it offers a comparative perspective on the key factors shaping think tanks’ sustainability, impact, and prospects for the future.
Insights from the report
Some of the main discussion points and insights are summarised in the following questions:
What’s the average think tank size, age, and turnover? +
How do think tanks navigate their political context? +
How are think tanks funded? +
What big challenges and opportunities are they facing? +
Are think tanks impacting? What are their research priorities? +
Insights from our partners
Starting in 2024 we partnered with 21 fantastic think tanks and initiatives around the world.
The articles below were written by them. They provide more nuanced national and regional analyses of the findings:
- Anglosphere: Governance Action Hub (Results for Development)
- Non-EU Europe and the Caucasus: Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Caribbean Policy Research Institute, Ethos, Grupo FARO
- Middle East and North Africa: Policy Center for the New South
- Sub-Saharan Africa: African Center for Equitable Development, Initiative prospective agricole et rurale, Nkafu Policy Institute
- East and South-East Asia: Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs
- Central Asia: CAPS Unlock
- South Asia: Centre for a Smart Future, Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy
Insights from the OTT community
The following articles are written by OTT team and community members. If you would like to contribute an article based on the report and the data please get in touch.
The Open Think Tank Directory
On Think Tanks set up the Open Think Tank Directory in 2016 to respond to the lack of publicly available information on think tanks and other policy research centres worldwide. Today, it features public information on more than 3,800 organisations from around the world.
The directory supports the sector’s transparency, and enables think tanks and those in the evidence-informed policy world to find and connect with one another. Think tanks can use it to identify potential partners, and funders to identify potential grantees – and it also provides a useful resource for those who study think tanks.
The full database is public and can be downloaded here.
Is your organisation in the directory? Register here.
Find out more about the State of the Sector Report and join the conversation
At OTT we believe in the power of evidence informed dialogue to strengthen think tanks communities. We invite you to organise a discussion using findings from the Report. Please get in touch if you would like our help.
If you are a think tank funder and would like a private briefing of the report and its findings, please contact us.