Top Think Tanks, as of August 2026

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This page is part of a larger set of rankings for research items, serials, authors and institutions made available on this site. A FAQ is available.

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Institutions need satisfy the following criteria to be included: Institutions having the following words in its name or its name translation on EDIRC:
A series of rankings by different criteria are aggregated. The average rank score is determined by taking a harmonic mean of the ranks in each criterion. For a list of criteria, see the general ranking page.
For 10/10: This ranking takes only publications in the last 10 years into account.
For 10/10: The ranking here is limited to the best 10 authors from each institution for each criterion. Authors with multiple affiliations count proportionally to the affiliation share they set for the score and the author count. Rankings for criteria HIndex and Students are from the general ranking.
Authors who are deceased or whose email address with RePEc is invalid are not counted, the latter under the assumption that they have moved or have died
There are 9358 institutions with 74012 registered authors evaluated for all the rankings
For Think Tanks, these are 263 institutions with 1909.20 members.

The data presented here are experimental. They are based on a sample of the research output in Economics and Finance. Only material catalogued in RePEc is considered. For any citation based criterion, only works that could be parsed by the CitEc project are considered. For any ranking of people, only those registered with the RePEc Author Service can be taken into account. And for rankings of institutions, only those listed in EDIRC and claimed as affiliation by the respective, registered authors can be measured. Thus, this list is by no means based on a complete sample. You can help making this more comprehensive by encouraging more publications to be listed (instructions) and more authors to register (form). For more details on the various rankings that are available as well for documentation, follow this link.

Entity	Full ranking		Last 10 years		10 best authors		Last 10 years, 10 best authors		Top 5% authors		More
Authors	Short	Details	Short	Details							More
Institutions	Short	Details	Short	Details	Short	Details	Short	Details	All years	Last 10	More
Regions	Short	Details	Short	Details							More

All publications, all authors

Rank	Institution	Score	Authors	Author Shares
1	National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States)	1	567	141.84
2	Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), London, United Kingdom	2.13	423	55.39
3	Brookings Institution, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	3.50	39	24.42
4	ifo Institut - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung an der Universität München e.V., München, Germany	4.13	205	154.46
5	Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics (IIE), Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	4.65	50	35.32
6	DIW Berlin (Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung), Berlin, Germany	5.13	142	100.81
-	Brookings Institution → Economic Studies, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	5.23	13	8.32
7	Institutet för Näringslivsforskning (IFN), Stockholm, Sweden	8.40	105	68.26
8	Kiel Institut für Weltwirtschaft - Leibniz Zentrum zur Erforschung globaler ökonomischer Herausforderungen (IfW), Kiel, Germany	8.47	89	60.61
9	Resources for the Future (RFF), Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	8.52	65	46.85
10	Motu: Economic & Public Policy Research, Wellington, New Zealand	10.33	22	18.13
11	Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg, Germany	10.91	77	61.73
12	Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Dublin, Ireland	13.48	82	66.53
13	Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung Halle (IWH), Halle, Germany	14.01	50	29.31
14	RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Essen, Germany	14.45	76	54.75
15	Sciences Po → Sciences économiques → Centre de recherche en Économie (OFCE), Paris, France	14.54	50	29.32
16	W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, Kalamazoo, Michigan (United States)	14.65	16	14.81
17	Beijing Institute of Technology → Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEP), Beijing, China	15.30	53	36.40
18	Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), Tokyo, Japan	16.83	55	35.02
19	National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), London, United Kingdom	17.18	54	44.09
20	Centre d'études prospectives et d'informations internationales (CEPII), Paris, France	17.92	41	22.70
21	American Enterprise Institute, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	19.30	18	17
-	Brookings Institution → Global Economy and Development Program, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	19.34	13	6.72
22	Government of Japan → Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) → Institute of Developing Economies, CHiba, Japan	20.22	43	39.37
-	DIW Berlin (Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung) → Forschungsbasierte Infrastruktureinrichtung "Sozio-oekonomisches Panel (SOEP)", Berlin, Germany	20.75	23	17.32
23	Bruegel, Bruxelles/Brussel, Belgium	21.43	20	12.82
24	Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, Moscow, Russia	21.63	131	85.49
25	University College Dublin → Geary Institute, Dublin, Ireland	23.17	31	13.93
26	Urban Institute, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	24.04	27	23.44
27	Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis (RCEA), Rimini, Italy	25.41	41	12.78
28	Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE), México, Mexico	26.62	34	31.08
29	Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo (GRADE), Lima, Peru	28.47	25	20.30
30	Government of Finland → Valtion taloudellinen tutkimuskeskus (VATT), Helsinki, Finland	28.65	23	18.18
31	Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Bruxelles/Brussel, Belgium	29.28	17	12.61
32	Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research (PIER), Bangkok, Thailand	29.45	16	11.71
33	European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI), Bruxelles/Brussel, Belgium	30.23	10	2.11
34	Mercatus Center, Arlington, Virginia (United States)	30.49	27	18.97
35	Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft, Köln, Germany	32.39	16	15.09
36	Cato Institute, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	33.10	9	4.59
37	Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Den Haag, Netherlands	33.96	19	15.50
38	University of Michigan → Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy → Center for Local, State and Urban Policy (CLOSUP), Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States)	34.34	1	1
39	Fundación para la Educación Superior y el Desarrollo (Fedesarrollo), Bogotá, Colombia	36.15	30	27.60
40	Elinkeinoelämän Tutkimuslaitos (ETLA), Helsinki, Finland	36.40	17	13.98
41	Bard College → Levy Economics Institute, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York (United States)	36.56	22	13.78
42	CASE-Center for Social and Economic Research, Warszawa, Poland	37.37	27	19.61
43	Group for Research in Applied Economics (GRAPE), Warszawa, Poland	38.52	21	10.50
44	Shadow Open Market Committee, Rochester, New York (United States)	41.94	2	1.33
45	Centro de Estudios Públicos, Santiago, Chile	42.45	8	6.59
46	Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis (RCEA), Waterloo, Canada	43.36	25	4.06
47	C. D. Howe Institute, Toronto, Canada	43.57	9	4.97
48	Instytut Badań Strukturalnych, Warszawa, Poland	45.26	23	21.34
49	University of Cape Town → Faculty of Commerce → School of Economics → Development Policy Research Unit, Cape Town, South Africa	46.19	16	15
50	Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Jakarta, Indonesia	46.27	24	20.55
51	Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	47.08	14	11.72
52	Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), San Francisco, California (United States)	49.72	6	3.60
53	Labore, Helsinki, Finland	50.37	11	7.60
54	Economic Policy Institute, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	50.96	5	2.53
55	Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London, United Kingdom	52.73	16	11.72
56	Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI), Bratislava, Slovakia	53.37	19	11.47
57	Resolution Foundation, London, United Kingdom	53.79	1	0.95
58	Council on Economic Policies (CEP), Zürich, Switzerland	54.20	5	4.52
59	Nordisk Institutt for studier av innovasjon, forskning og utdanning (NIFU), Oslo, Norway	54.80	11	9.37
60	Universiti Sains Malaysia → Centre for Policy Research (CPR), Minden, Malaysia	55.32	1	1
61	Prometeia, Bologna, Italy	57.71	9	7.05
-	Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB) → Forschungsdatenzentrum der Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Nürnberg, Germany	59.33	3	2.89
62	International Security and Development Center (ISDC), Berlin, Germany	59.99	7	4.48
63	Centro de Debate de Politica Publica (CDPP), São Paulo, Brazil	60.63	1	0.50
64	Europaplattfrom Wien-Brüssel, Wien, Austria	61.53	1	0.80
65	Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien → Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik, Wien, Austria	64.11	11	10.20

10 best authors in each, 10 last publication years

Rank	Institution	Score	Authors	Author Shares
1	National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States)	1.07	567	10
2	Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), London, United Kingdom	2.73	423	10
3	ifo Institut - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung an der Universität München e.V., München, Germany	3.07	205	10
4	DIW Berlin (Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung), Berlin, Germany	3.72	142	10
5	Beijing Institute of Technology → Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEP), Beijing, China	6.05	53	10
6	Kiel Institut für Weltwirtschaft - Leibniz Zentrum zur Erforschung globaler ökonomischer Herausforderungen (IfW), Kiel, Germany	6.93	89	10
7	Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg, Germany	7.40	77	10
8	Institutet för Näringslivsforskning (IFN), Stockholm, Sweden	7.45	105	10
9	Resources for the Future (RFF), Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	9.25	65	10
10	Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics (IIE), Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	9.82	50	10
11	Brookings Institution, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	9.97	39	10
12	Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Dublin, Ireland	10.50	82	10
13	Sciences Po → Sciences économiques → Centre de recherche en Économie (OFCE), Paris, France	10.94	50	10
14	Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung Halle (IWH), Halle, Germany	12.24	50	10
15	RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Essen, Germany	12.36	76	10
-	Brookings Institution → Economic Studies, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	13.89	13	8.32
16	Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), Tokyo, Japan	15.78	55	10
17	W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, Kalamazoo, Michigan (United States)	16.17	16	10
18	Centre d'études prospectives et d'informations internationales (CEPII), Paris, France	16.95	41	10
-	DIW Berlin (Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung) → Forschungsbasierte Infrastruktureinrichtung "Sozio-oekonomisches Panel (SOEP)", Berlin, Germany	17.16	23	10
19	Motu: Economic & Public Policy Research, Wellington, New Zealand	17.56	22	10
20	Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, Moscow, Russia	17.79	131	10
21	Government of Japan → Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) → Institute of Developing Economies, CHiba, Japan	19.11	43	10
22	National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), London, United Kingdom	20.15	54	10
23	Government of Finland → Valtion taloudellinen tutkimuskeskus (VATT), Helsinki, Finland	21.02	23	10
24	Bruegel, Bruxelles/Brussel, Belgium	21.77	20	10
25	Group for Research in Applied Economics (GRAPE), Warszawa, Poland	22.85	21	10
26	Instytut Badań Strukturalnych, Warszawa, Poland	23.80	23	10
27	Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Bruxelles/Brussel, Belgium	24.88	17	10
28	American Enterprise Institute, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	24.97	18	10
29	Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE), México, Mexico	27.00	34	10
30	Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft, Köln, Germany	27.13	16	10
31	Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Den Haag, Netherlands	28.61	19	10
-	Brookings Institution → Global Economy and Development Program, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	29.00	13	6.72
32	Mercatus Center, Arlington, Virginia (United States)	29.32	27	10
33	Elinkeinoelämän Tutkimuslaitos (ETLA), Helsinki, Finland	31.40	17	10
34	Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Jakarta, Indonesia	31.95	24	10
35	Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo (GRADE), Lima, Peru	32.28	25	10
36	European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI), Bruxelles/Brussel, Belgium	32.49	10	2.11
37	Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research (PIER), Bangkok, Thailand	32.93	16	10
38	University College Dublin → Geary Institute, Dublin, Ireland	34.00	31	10
39	University of Cape Town → Faculty of Commerce → School of Economics → Development Policy Research Unit, Cape Town, South Africa	36.44	16	10
40	Urban Institute, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	37.20	27	10
41	Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis (RCEA), Rimini, Italy	37.24	41	10
42	Council on Economic Policies (CEP), Zürich, Switzerland	38.43	5	4.52
43	European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS), Liège, Belgium	39.60	2	0.45
44	Bard College → Levy Economics Institute, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York (United States)	41.32	22	10
45	Labore, Helsinki, Finland	41.45	11	7.60
46	EcoAustria Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Wien, Austria	41.67	3	2.80
-	Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB) → Forschungsdatenzentrum der Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Nürnberg, Germany	43.85	3	2.89
47	Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis (RCEA), Waterloo, Canada	45.01	25	4.06
48	Prometeia, Bologna, Italy	45.60	9	7.05
49	Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI), Bratislava, Slovakia	46.34	19	10
50	International Security and Development Center (ISDC), Berlin, Germany	46.34	7	4.48
51	Center for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), Abuja, Nigeria	47.51	3	2.51
52	Resolution Foundation, London, United Kingdom	52.56	1	0.95
-	ifo Institut - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung an der Universität München e.V. → Niederlassung Dresden, Dresden, Germany	52.98	12	8.18
53	Lebanese American University → Center for Policy Action, Beirut/Byblos, Lebanon	52.99	1	1
54	CASE-Center for Social and Economic Research, Warszawa, Poland	53.53	27	10
55	Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien → Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik, Wien, Austria	54.23	11	10
56	Nordisk Institutt for studier av innovasjon, forskning og utdanning (NIFU), Oslo, Norway	54.79	11	9.37
57	Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan, Nigeria	56.08	3	2.12
58	Agenda Austria, Wien, Austria	56.67	4	2.90
59	Economic Development Initiatives (E.D.I.), Bukoba, Tanzania	59.08	2	1.50
60	Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London, United Kingdom	59.09	16	10
61	Tax Justice Network, Chesham, United Kingdom	59.91	3	3
62	Fundación para la Educación Superior y el Desarrollo (Fedesarrollo), Bogotá, Colombia	61.35	30	10
63	Archbridge Institute, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)	62.46	1	1
64	African Economic Research Consortium, Nairobi, Kenya	63.04	11	3.40
65	Policy Center for the New South, Rabat, Morocco	64.64	12	10

Credits:

Citations from CitEc project by José Manuel Barrueco Cruz, University of Valencia, Spain. Hardware provided by Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas (IVIE), Valencia, Spain.
Abstract views and downloads statistics from LogEc project by Sune Karlsson, Örebro University, Sweden.
Author registration, institution database, and ranking computations by Christian Zimmermann.
RePEc has been initiated by Thomas Krichel.

We do our best, but we cannot exclude errors.

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