The Meridian Institute
The Meridian Institute is an independent research institute focused on international and strategic affairs. Its team produces evidence-led analysis for decision-makers and the public.
Latest research
Paying More Than They Borrow: The Developing-World Debt Squeeze
Between 2022 and 2024 developing countries paid about US$741 billion more in principal and interest on their external debt than they received in new financing, the largest gap in at least 50 years. This paper reviews the World Bank's International Debt Report 2025, sets out who is still lending, and assesses what the shift in creditors means for the politics of sovereign debt.
Concentrated Supply: Critical Minerals as a Strategic Chokepoint
Governments speak of diversifying critical mineral supply chains, yet refining has become more concentrated, not less. Drawing on the International Energy Agency's Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025, this paper examines the trend, the spread of export controls, and why market forces alone are unlikely to reverse it.
Fewer Peacekeepers, More Wars Between States
In 2025 conflicts between states reached their highest level since 1946, while peace-operation personnel fell to their lowest December level since at least 2000.
Trade Under Strain: What the WTO's October 2026 Outlook Reveals
The WTO has roughly doubled its 2026 goods-trade forecast, but the upgrade rests heavily on AI investment while services and conflict-exposed regions weaken.
Concepts
Short explainers on the theories behind our analysis, from realism and the security dilemma to geopolitics and economic statecraft. Explore the concepts.