---
title: International IDEA
type: research
status: active
country: SE
website: https://www.idea.int
logo: /assets/org-logos/international-idea.png
contact:
  checked: 2026-08-01
  form: https://www.idea.int/contact
  phone: +46 8 698 3700
  source: https://www.idea.int/contact
summary: An intergovernmental organisation supporting the sustainability of democratic
  institutions worldwide — providing comparative data, policy analysis, and technical
  assistance on elections, constitutions, and democratic governance.
concepts:
- democracy
- deliberative-democracy
- e-government
- constitutional-democracy
location:
  latitude: 59.3293
  longitude: 18.0686
  name: Stockholm, Sweden
rss_feed: https://www.idea.int/rss.xml
events:
- date: '1995-01-01'
  title: Founded in Stockholm as an intergovernmental organisation supporting sustainable
    democracy worldwide
  url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Institute_for_Democracy_and_Electoral_Assistance
  quote: The Founding Conference of International IDEA took place on 27–28 February
    1995
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: true
- date: '2006-01-01'
  title: Launched the Global State of Democracy indices — a flagship annual assessment
    covering 160+ countries
  url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Institute_for_Democracy_and_Electoral_Assistance
  quote: The Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Initiative was launched in 2016
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: true
activity:
  rss:
    date: 2026-08-14
    note: 'Latest post: ans_9388_818839906'
    url: https://www.idea.int/node/161776
    checked: 2026-08-17
last_checked: '2026-05-29'
---

International IDEA (the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance) is an intergovernmental organisation founded in 1995 with a mandate to support sustainable democratic governance across the globe. It has 35 member states and is headquartered in Stockholm, with regional offices across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe.

IDEA focuses on the full spectrum of democratic systems: electoral processes, political parties, constitutions, parliaments, and civic participation. It is distinct from advocacy organisations — its role is to provide comparative research and technical assistance to governments, electoral commissions, and civil society, without prescribing a single model of democracy.

Key resources and platforms:

- **Global State of Democracy** — annual indices tracking democratic performance across 160+ countries
- **ConstitutionNet** — an online platform for constitutional drafters and researchers, hosting global resources on constitution-building processes
- **Electoral Integrity** — comparative data on electoral system design and administration
- **Voter Turnout Database** — one of the most comprehensive global datasets on electoral participation

For organisations working on democratic reform or civic tech, IDEA's comparative databases are a primary research resource.

## Links

- Website: [idea.int](https://www.idea.int)
- Global State of Democracy: [idea.int/gsod](https://www.idea.int/gsod)
- ConstitutionNet: [constitutionnet.org](https://constitutionnet.org)

## See also

- [Democracy](../concepts/democracy.md)
- [Deliberative Democracy](../concepts/deliberative-democracy.md)
- [Constitutional Democracy](../concepts/constitutional-democracy.md)
- [E-Government](../concepts/e-government.md)
- [newDemocracy Foundation](newdemocracy.md)
- [Democracy International](democracy-international.md)
- [Participedia](participedia.md)