Top 10 think tanks by area of research:
| Table of Contents | Domestic Health Policy |
| Defense and National Security | Global Health Policy |
| Domestic Economic Policy | International Development |
| Education Policy | International Economics |
| Energy & Resource Policy | Science and Technology |
| Environment Policy | Social Policy |
| Foreign Policy and International Affairs |
Transparency and Good Governance |
Each category includes more than 10 rankings. For the complete top listings in each category, see the full 2019 Global Go To Think Tank report, pages 110-140.
This year two new categories were added: Food Security Think Tanks and Water Security Think Tanks.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) (U.S.) was recognized as the Defense and National Security Center of Excellence for 2016-2018, having won #1 think tank in this category for three years in a row.
The Brookings Institution (U.S.) was recognized as the Domestic Economic Policy Center of Excellence for 2016-2018, having won #1 think tank in this category for three years in a row.
The Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) (U.S.) was recognized as the International Economics Policy Center of Excellence for 2016-2018, having won #1 think tank in this category for three years in a row.
2. Brookings Institution -- United States
3. Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW) -- Austria
4. Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) -- Republic of Korea
5. Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization (IDEJETRO) -- Japan
6. Adam Smith Institute (ASI) -- United Kingdom
7. National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) -- United States
The Urban Institute (U.S.) was recognized as the Social Policy Center of Excellence for 2016-2018, having won #1 think tank in this category for three years in a row.
1. Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE) -- Poland
2. Brookings Institution -- United States
4. Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV) -- Brazil
5. Center for American Progress (CAP) -- United States
6. Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) -- Sweden
7. RAND Corporation -- United States
8. Heritage Foundation -- United States
9. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) -- United States
1. Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) -- Sweden
2. Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) -- Germany
3. Ecologic Institute -- Germany
4. World Resources Institute (WRI) -- United States
5. Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) -- United States
6. Worldwatch Institute -- United States
7. E3G – Third Generation Environmentalism -- United Kingdom
8. Resources for the Future (RFF) -- United States
9. Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy -- Germany
The Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research (CCHSR) (United Kingdom) was recognized as the Domestic Health Affairs Center of Excellence for 2016-2018, having won #1 think tank in this category for three years in a row.
1. Bloomberg School of Public Health Research Centers (JHSPH) -- United States
2. Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) -- Japan
3. Brookings Institution -- United States
4. Philips Center for Health and Well-Being -- Netherlands
5. RAND Corporation -- United States
7. Cato Institute -- United States
8. Urban Institute -- United States
9. Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy (KPIHP) -- United States
The Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research (CCHSR) (United Kingdom) was recognized as the Global Health Policy Center of Excellence for 2016-2018, having won #1 think tank in this category for three years in a row.
1. Bloomberg School of Public Health Research Centers (JHSPH) -- United States
2. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) -- United States
3. Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) -- Japan
4. Brookings Institution -- United States
5. Chatham House, Centre on Global Health Security -- United Kingdom
7. RAND Corporation -- United States
8. Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) -- Spain
9. Council on Foreign Relations, Global Health Program (CFR) -- United States
1. National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER) -- Japan
2. Urban Institute -- United States
3. Brookings Institution -- United States
4. RAND Corporation -- United States
5. Center for Education Policy, SRI International -- United States
6. Mathematica Policy Research (MPR) -- United States
7. Center for Social and Economic Strategies (CESES) -- Czech Republic
8. Cato Institute -- United States
9. Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) -- United States
10. Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA) -- United States
1. China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR) – China
2. Center for Water-Energy Efficiency, UC Davis – U.S.
3. Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University – Australia
4. Asian International Rivers Centre, Yunnan University – China
5. John Hopkins Water Institute – U.S.
7. Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, houses Bristol's Water Initiative – U.S.
8. Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF) – Spain
9. Center for Water Economics, Environment and Policy, Crawford School, Australian National University – Australia
The Korea Development Institute (KDI) (Republic of Korea) was recognized as the International Development Policy Center of Excellence for 2016-2018, having won #1 think tank in this category for three years in a row.
1. Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) -- United States
2. Max Planck Institutes -- Germany
3. Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) -- United Kingdom
4. Institute for Future Engineering (IFENG), FKA Institute for Future Technology -- Japan
5. RAND Corporation -- United States
6. Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI) -- Republic of Korea
7. Center for Development Research (ZEF) – Germany
8. Samuel Neaman Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology (SNI) -- Israel
9. Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes (CSPO) -- United States
10. African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) -- Kenya
1. James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy -- United States
2. Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ) -- Japan
3. Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES) -- United Kingdom
4. Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI) -- Republic of Korea
5. Center for Science of Environment, Resources and Energy -- Japan
6. Resources for the Future (RFF) -- United States
7. Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR) – United States
8. Energy Policy Research Group (EPRG) -- United Kingdom
9. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) -- United States
1. Transparency International (TI) -- Germany
2. Freedom House -- United States
3. Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), FKA Revenue Watch Institute -- United States
4. Brookings Institution -- United States
5. Human Rights Watch (HRW) – United Kingdom and U.S.
6. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace -- United States
7. Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF) -- United Kingdom
8. National Endowment for Democracy (NED) -- United States
9. Center for Public Integrity (CPI) -- United States
10. Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation -- United States
1. Agricultural Research for Development – France
2. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – U.S.
3. Agropolis International – France
4. Action Against Hunger – Spain
5. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) – U.S.
7. Center for Food Security and the Environment – U.S.
8. Food and Agriculture Administration of the United Nations – Italy
