CSES Usage Statistics & Research Impact

Global Impact Overview

The Comparative Study of Election Surveys (CSES) is one of the most widely cited research infrastructures in comparative political science, sociology, and electoral analysis.

Key Metrics at a Glance

1,200+ Peer-Reviewed Articles, Books, and Dissertations utilizing CSES datasets.
Over 40,000 Verified Dataset Downloads worldwide via the GESIS Data Archive, ICPSR, and the CSES data portal.
55+ Participating Countries & Polities across five continents.
174+ Standardized Post-Election Studies integrated into the CSES infrastructure.

Top Publishing Outlets Utilizing CSES Data

Research utilizing CSES datasets appears in top international political science journals:

American Political Science Review (APSR)
American Journal of Political Science (AJPS)
British Journal of Political Science (BJPS)
Comparative Political Studies (CPS)
European Journal of Political Research (EJPR)
Journal of Politics (JOP)
Electoral Studies
Party Politics
Political Behavior
West European Politics

Thematic Distribution of CSES Publications

CSES data are utilized across diverse research agendas:

Electoral Systems & Voting Behavior (35%): Effects of PR vs. Majoritarian systems, district magnitude, and voting rules on voter turnout and strategic voting.
Political Polarization & Populism (25%): Citizen attitudes toward political elites, affective polarization, and ideological sorting.
Accountability & Economic Voting (20%): Retrospective economic voting, coalition clarity, and citizen satisfaction with democratic performance.
Gender, Representation, & Demographics (20%): Descriptive and substantive representation of women and minority groups, generational value shifts.