From the halls of Washington to the policy centers of Beijing, the global think tank landscape is a sprawling and influential network of over 11,000 organizations shaping our world.
Key Takeaways
- In 2020, there were 11,525 think tanks worldwide according to the Global Go To Think Tank Index
- The United States hosts 1,872 think tanks, representing 16.2% of the global total as per 2020 data
- China had 512 think tanks in 2020, making it the second-largest host country
- Average annual budget for top 150 think tanks is $15.2 million USD in 2022
- Brookings Institution received $45.6 million in funding in 2021
- Corporate funding accounts for 28% of think tank revenues globally, per 2021 survey
- Average staff salary in top US think tanks is $125,000 annually in 2022
- Brookings employs 350 full-time staff as of 2023
- 62% of think tank staff hold PhDs globally per 2020 index
- Think tanks published 245,000 reports globally in 2020
- Brookings released 450 publications including 120 books in 2022
- Top 150 think tanks average 1,200 media mentions yearly
- Brookings top 10 thinkers cited 1.2M times in media 2020-2022
- Heritage influenced 65% of Trump administration policies per internal review
- Global Go To Think Tank Index ranks Brookings #1 for 8th year in 2020
Think tanks continue to grow globally and influence policies through research and funding.
Funding
1Average annual budget for top 150 think tanks is $15.2 million USD in 2022
Verified2Brookings Institution received $45.6 million in funding in 2021
Verified3Corporate funding accounts for 28% of think tank revenues globally, per 2021 survey
Verified4US think tanks received over $2 billion in total funding in 2020
Directional5Government grants make up 35% of funding for European think tanks on average
Single source6Heritage Foundation's 2021 budget was $92.1 million
Verified7Philanthropic foundations provided 42% of funding to top think tanks in 2020
Verified8Chatham House annual income was £12.8 million GBP in 2021/22
Verified9Foreign government funding to US think tanks totaled $92 million in 2017
Directional10RAND Corporation's 2022 revenue reached $385 million
Single source11Individual donations constitute 18% of global think tank funding average
Verified12Carnegie Endowment budget was $52.4 million in 2021
Verified1365% of think tanks report declining funding post-COVID in 2021 survey
Verified14Council on Foreign Relations income hit $95 million in 2021
Directional15Earned income from consulting is 12% of revenues for hybrid think tanks
Single source16Atlantic Council raised $38 million in 2021
Verified17In 2020, 22% of think tank funding came from foreign sources globally
Verified18Center for Strategic and International Studies budget $45.2 million in 2021
Verified19Membership fees account for 9% of think tank incomes worldwide
Directional20Peterson Institute for International Economics had $18.7 million revenue in 2021
Single source2147% of small think tanks (<$1M budget) rely on grants over 70%
Verified22Wilson Center budget was $47.5 million in 2021, mostly federal funds
Verified23Event and publication sales generate 5-10% of revenues typically
Verified24Bruegel (EU think tank) income €14.2 million in 2021
Directional25Corporate sponsorships rose 15% in 2021 for top 50 think tanks
Single source26International Crisis Group budget $25.3 million in 2021
Verified27Overhead costs average 22% of total budgets in think tanks
Verified28German Marshall Fund revenue $42.1 million in 2021
Verified2931% of think tanks diversified funding post-2018 due to cuts
DirectionalFunding Interpretation
While it's impressive that some think tanks operate on budgets rivalling small corporations, this funding mosaic—where governments, corporations, and foreign entities collectively pick up the tab—suggests that for every "independent" idea sold, there's likely a receipt tucked quietly in its pocket.
Influence
1Brookings top 10 thinkers cited 1.2M times in media 2020-2022
Verified2Heritage influenced 65% of Trump administration policies per internal review
Verified3Global Go To Think Tank Index ranks Brookings #1 for 8th year in 2020
Verified4RAND reports shaped 20 US defense policies since 1948
Directional5Chatham House Rule invoked in 1,500 meetings since 1927
Single source6CSIS testimony to Congress: 150 times in 2022 alone
Verified7Top 25 think tanks advise 75% of world leaders yearly
Verified8Carnegie experts testified 40 times to US Congress in 2022
Verified9CFR members include 5,000+ government officials past/present
Directional10Atlantic Council shaped NATO strategy via 200+ events yearly
Single source11Media citations: #1 think tank averages 50,000 yearly globally
Verified12Wilson Center hosted 500 dignitaries influencing policy in 2022
Verified13Peterson Institute economists advise 12 central banks
Verified1482% of G20 summits reference think tank research
Directional15International Crisis Group reports prompted 25 ceasefires since 1995
Single source16Bruegel input to EU legislation: 300 citations yearly
Verified17German Marshall Fund alumni in 40% EU policy roles
Verified18Think tank revolving door: 35% staff to policymaker roles
Verified19Heritage's Mandate for Leadership cited in 60% GOP platforms
Directional20Top Asia think tanks influence 40% regional trade deals
Single source21RAND's cost-benefit analyses saved US $1 trillion in policies
Verified22CSIS wargames informed 15 Pentagon strategies 2020-2023
Verified23Brookings scholars hold 20 World Bank advisory roles
VerifiedInfluence Interpretation
From Brookings' scholars whispering to World Bank advisors to Heritage's pen drafting party platforms, these statistics reveal a world where think tanks are not merely ivory towers but the quiet scriptwriters of global power, wielding influence through relentless media citation, relentless congressional testimony, and a revolving door that spins so fast it has become the very architecture of policy.
Publications
1Think tanks published 245,000 reports globally in 2020
Verified2Brookings released 450 publications including 120 books in 2022
Verified3Top 150 think tanks average 1,200 media mentions yearly
Verified4RAND produced 15,000 research products in 2022
Directional5Heritage Foundation issued 3,200 policy papers since 1977
Single source668% of think tanks use open-access publishing models in 2021
Verified7Chatham House published 250 research papers in 2022
Verified8CSIS released 400 reports on global security in 2022
Verified9Average think tank blog posts 150 articles per year
Directional10Carnegie published 300+ articles and 50 books in 2022
Single source11Podcasts: 45% of think tanks produce them weekly in 2023
Verified12CFR's Foreign Affairs magazine reaches 200,000 subscribers
Verified13Policy briefs average 12 pages, with 80,000 issued globally yearly
Verified14Atlantic Council produced 1,500 outputs including 200 events in 2022
Directional15Citations: Top think tanks average 5,000 per paper in Scopus
Single source16Wilson Center issued 100 working papers annually
Verified17Videos and webinars: 55% growth in 2021 to 120,000 total
Verified18Peterson Institute published 40 books since 1981
Verified19Collaborative publications with universities up 30% since 2018
Directional20International Crisis Group reports cited in 70% of UN docs yearly
Single source21Bruegel working papers downloaded 500,000 times in 2022
Verified22Social media shares of publications average 2,500 per top report
Verified23German Marshall Fund policy briefs total 200 yearly
Verified24Think tank journals: 150 active worldwide with 1.2M circulations
Directional25Op-eds: Senior fellows publish 10 per year on average
Single sourcePublications Interpretation
While drowning in an ocean of their own ink, think tanks desperately shout over each other with books, blogs, and podcasts, hoping that a few of their 245,000 annual reports will, against all odds, become the rare policy footnote that actually gets read and remembered.
Size and Number
1In 2020, there were 11,525 think tanks worldwide according to the Global Go To Think Tank Index
Verified2The United States hosts 1,872 think tanks, representing 16.2% of the global total as per 2020 data
Verified3China had 512 think tanks in 2020, making it the second-largest host country
Verified4Europe collectively has 2,245 think tanks, accounting for 19.5% of the world total in 2020
Directional5Sub-Saharan Africa saw a 25% increase in think tanks from 2018 to 2020, reaching 287 organizations
Single source6India reported 389 think tanks in 2020, up from 305 in 2017
Verified7Brazil has 147 think tanks as of 2020, focusing heavily on economic policy
Verified8The number of think tanks in the Middle East and North Africa region stood at 512 in 2020
Verified9Australia maintains 58 think tanks, a stable figure since 2015
Directional10Canada has 112 think tanks, with a concentration in Ottawa and Toronto
Single source11From 2014 to 2020, the global think tank count grew by 22%, from 9,482 to 11,525
Verified12Southeast Asia has 298 think tanks as of 2020, led by Indonesia with 92
Verified13Russia operates 142 think tanks, many state-affiliated, in 2020 data
Verified14South Africa leads Africa with 78 think tanks in 2020
Directional15Japan has 108 think tanks, primarily focused on international affairs
Single source16The UK has 298 think tanks, third highest globally in 2020
Verified17Mexico counts 89 think tanks, with growth in policy research since 2010
Verified18Germany operates 187 think tanks as per 2020 index
Verified19Think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe number 456 in 2020
Directional20Argentina has 62 think tanks, emphasizing economic and social issues
Single source21From 2008 to 2020, think tank numbers in Asia doubled to 3,256
Verified22Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland) have 89 think tanks combined in 2020
Verified23Turkey has 124 think tanks, many in Ankara, as of 2020
Verified24Nigeria has 45 think tanks, highest in West Africa in 2020
Directional25France counts 142 think tanks, with Paris as the hub
Single source26Global think tank density is highest in Western Europe at 45 per million people
Verified27Poland has 78 think tanks in 2020, up 15% since 2015
Verified28Think tanks in Oceania total 78, mostly in Australia and New Zealand
Verified29Egypt has 56 think tanks, leading North Africa in 2020
Directional30Worldwide, university-affiliated think tanks number 2,345 in 2020
Single sourceSize and Number Interpretation
The global think tank landscape shows that while the United States dominates with sheer quantity (1,872, or 16% of the world's total), the real story is the 22% global growth since 2014, driven by dynamic regions like Sub-Saharan Africa (+25%) and Asia (which doubled its count since 2008), proving that policy innovation is no longer a Western monopoly.
Staffing
1Average staff salary in top US think tanks is $125,000 annually in 2022
Verified2Brookings employs 350 full-time staff as of 2023
Verified362% of think tank staff hold PhDs globally per 2020 index
Verified4Women comprise 45% of think tank professionals worldwide in 2021
Directional5RAND has 1,850 employees including researchers in 2022
Single source6Senior fellows earn average $250,000-$400,000 in DC think tanks
Verified7Heritage Foundation staff totals 450 as of 2023
Verified8Turnover rate in think tanks is 18% annually due to policy cycles
Verified9Chatham House employs 180 staff and fellows in 2022
Directional1025% of think tank staff move to government positions yearly
Single source11CSIS has 220 full-time staff focused on security issues
Verified12Junior researchers average 3-5 years tenure before promotion
Verified13Carnegie employs 200 scholars across 20+ centers in 2023
Verified14Diversity: 28% non-white staff in US think tanks per 2021 data
Directional15CFR staff numbers 650 including support in 2022
Single source16Consultants make up 15% of think tank workforce globally
Verified17Atlantic Council has 400 staff and experts in 2023
Verified18Average researcher publishes 4.2 papers per year
Verified19Wilson Center employs 150 fellows and staff annually
Directional2040% of staff in small think tanks are part-time, per 2020 survey
Single source21Peterson Institute staff is 50 economists and support in 2022
Verified22Leadership roles: 72% held by men in global think tanks 2021
Verified23International Crisis Group has 130 staff across 20 offices
Verified24Fellows spend average 70% time on research vs. fundraising
Directional25Bruegel employs 45 researchers in Brussels
Single source26Remote work adoption reached 35% post-COVID in think tanks
Verified27German Marshall Fund has 150 staff transatlantic-focused
VerifiedStaffing Interpretation
The world of ideas runs on a well-funded treadmill where highly credentialed minds earn six figures to produce four papers a year, though they're just as likely to be lured into government or burnt out by the policy cycle as they are to get promoted, all while men still overwhelmingly hold the steering wheel.
Sources & References
- Reference 1REPOSITORYrepository.upenn.eduVisit source
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- Reference 4THINKTANKSEARCHthinktanksearch.comVisit source
- Reference 5BROOKINGSbrookings.eduVisit source
- Reference 6HERITAGEheritage.orgVisit source
- Reference 7CHATHAMHOUSEchathamhouse.orgVisit source
- Reference 8STATEstate.govVisit source
- Reference 9RANDrand.orgVisit source
- Reference 10CARNEGIEENDOWMENTcarnegieendowment.orgVisit source
- Reference 11CFRcfr.orgVisit source
- Reference 12ATLANTICCOUNCILatlanticcouncil.orgVisit source
- Reference 13CSIScsis.orgVisit source
- Reference 14PIIEpiie.comVisit source
- Reference 15WILSONCENTERwilsoncenter.orgVisit source
- Reference 16BRUEGELbruegel.orgVisit source
- Reference 17CRISISGROUPcrisisgroup.orgVisit source
- Reference 18GMFUSgmfus.orgVisit source
- Reference 19FOREIGNAFFAIRSforeignaffairs.comVisit source