The Australia Institute is a public policy think tank based in Canberra, Australia. Since its launch in 1994, it has carried out research on a broad range of economic, social, and environmental issues.

The Australia Institute states that it takes a bipartisan approach to research, but has also been described as a "progressive" or "left-leaning" think-tank.^[2][3] This may be because a number of current and previous senior employees of the Australia Institute have also worked with the Australian Greens or other environmental organisations. This includes the founder and former director of the institute Clive Hamilton (who ran as a Greens candidate), former Director Ben Oquist and current Executive Director Richard Denniss (who both worked for Australian Greens leader Bob Brown), Deputy Director Ebony Bennett (who worked as a Greens media advisor^[4]), Chief-of-Staff Anna Chang (who was a media and campaigns advisor to the Australian Greens) and ex-regulatory lead Dan Cass (who was a Greens campaign manager and office bearer^[5]).

Ex-Director and Deputy Chair of the Australia Institute (2004 - 2022), Professor Barbara Pocock, was also elected as an Australian Green Senator for South Australia in 2022.

The institute has offices in Canberra, Hobart, and Adelaide.

The Australia Institute undertakes economic analysis with special emphasis on the role of the public sector as well as issues such as taxation, inequality, including gender inequality, poverty, privatisation, foreign investment, and corporate power. Some of the Australia Institute's contributions involve analysis of modelling exercises on the part of other groups. This includes assessing some of the pandemic modelling^[6] as well as the modelling behind the government's intergenerational report.^[7] The fiscal response has prompted attention to the tax base, and so the Australia Institute described the principles of a good tax^[8] and a report on how to make the budget less sexist.^[9] These are some of the topics among the hundreds of reports on economic issues generally.  

The Australia Institute has been producing research in the climate and energy space since 1994.^[10] In 2017, The Australia Institute took over the work of the Climate Institute, including continuing the Climate of the Nation report, the longest continuous survey of community attitudes to climate change in Australia.^[11] The Australia Institute also publishes the National Energy Emissions Audit.^[12]

The Australia Institute's Democracy & Accountability Program was established to “research the solutions to our democratic deficit and develop the political strategies to put them into practice”.^[13] Issues pursued by the program include truth in political advertising laws,^[14] how state and federal governments have handled the COVID-19 pandemic,^[15] and freedom of information laws.^[16]

In October 2019, The Australia Institute established the International and Security Affairs Program to examine "the global connectivity that both underpins and impacts on Australia’s place in the world and the well-being of our citizens”.^[17] The program addresses a broad range of contemporary global issues, including new thinking on what security means,^[18] a contemporary Middle east policy,^[19] the proper use of the defence force,^[20] the ANZUS treaty,^[21] Australia's relations with China,^[22] and how Australia might improve its performance in the Pacific.^[23]

The Australia Institute's researchers are prominent commentators on public policy issues, including work on climate change and energy, emissions trading, taxation policy, and inequality.

Professor Clive Hamilton helped establish The Australia Institute in 1994 to generate public debate on building a better society. "I wondered, 'Where are the progressive think tanks making debate on the environment and broader public issues?'".^[31] The first directors of the institute also included Professor Max Neutze (inaugural Chair)^[32] and Professor Hugh Saddler.

Hamilton was the Executive Director until his resignation in 2008. He was succeeded in the role by Richard Denniss, who stepped down in 2015 to take up the role of Chief Economist.^[33]

Ben Oquist was Executive Director from 2015 to 2022. He was succeeded by Richard Denniss who returned to the role in 2022.

The Australia Institute had a total gross income $9.05 Million (Australian dollars) in 2023^[50] ($7.7M in 2022, and $7M in 2021) and is funded by donations from philanthropic trusts and individuals, as well as grants and commissioned research from business, unions and non-government organisations. The Australia Institute reports full time equivalent staff of 34 employees.

In its first decade through to 2003, the Australia Institute was largely funded by the Poola Foundation and the Treepot Foundation—philanthropic organisations run by the Kantor's.^[51] Other significant funders include the McKinnon Family Foundation; David Morawetz's Social Justice Fund, a sub fund of the Australian Communities Foundation; Diana and Brian Snape AM and the Susan McKinnon Foundation.^[52]

In recent years, the Australia Institute has reported the number of donations it has received from individuals, with 2,000 individual donors in financial year 2015^[53] and 2,700 in the financial year 2017.^[54]

The Australia Institute does not accept donations or commissioned work from political parties.^[55]

Former board members include: