Legatum Institute

The Legatum Institute is a London-based think-tank with a bold vision to create a global movement of people committed to creating the pathways from poverty to prosperity and the transformation of society.

We seek to do this by raising up leaders of character, restoring an ethical vitality to all sectors of society, and developing the practical solutions and data tools that will help build inclusive and peaceful societies with open economies and empowered people.

• Our Centre for Metrics creates indexes and datasets to measure and explain how poverty and prosperity are changing.
• Our Research Programmes analyse the many complex drivers of poverty and prosperity at the local, national and global level.
• Our Practical Programmes identify the actions required to enable transformational change.

Our Values

The Institute’s work is informed by our core belief that true prosperity entails much more than material wealth: it reaches into the political, the judicial, and the wellbeing and character of a nation – enabling every individual to reach their full potential.

We believe that:

• Everyone has potential – people of all nations and walks of life have immense personal worth, dignity, and value. They should all be given the opportunity to realise their potential.
• Transformation is possible – but it will not be achieved by maintaining the status quo.
• Prevention is better than cure – avoiding problems is the most effective way to put individuals, communities, and nations on the pathways from poverty to prosperity.
• Engagement is required beyond government – all over the world, problems are being solved by individuals, communities, charities, and businesses.

Our Programmes: Creating the Pathways from Poverty to Prosperity

The aim of our work is to measure, analyse, and explain the many complex drivers of both poverty and prosperity at the local, national, and global level. Our programmes include:

• The Legatum Prosperity Index^TM, launched in 2007, is the only global index that measures national prosperity based on institutional, economic, and social wellbeing.
• The United States Prosperity Index is focused on developing a comprehensive picture of prosperity for all 50 states of the U.S. as well as Washington D.C. 
• The Africa Prosperity Programme aims to shift the debate about the continent’s challenges and opportunities.
• The Social Metrics Commission is an independent Commission on poverty in the UK, hosted by the Legatum Institute and chaired by CEO Philippa Stroud.
• The Economic Openness Programme aims to provide the international community with a tool to identify and tackle economic inequality.
• The 21st Century Development Programme seeks to examine how nations succes, by analysing the varied experiences of developing nations over the past 60 years.
• The Global People Movements Programme seeks to provide the data we need to form an accurate appraisal of the motivations behind the extraordinary journeys migrants are taking all over the world, and the risks they face.
• The Peace and Reconciliation Programme explores how nations have moved from a divided past towards a shared future.
• The World Ahead Programme examines the potential shift in power from West to East as India and China rise.