Parliaments perform vital roles in a democracy. Their authority rests on their ability to represent and articulate the interests of citizens in ways that no other institution can. However, in a complex and fast-moving environment, many parliaments are having to change the way that they perform in order to retain their legitimacy and relevance. This publication seeks to provide an overarching analysis of the state of parliaments worldwide. The central theme of this report is the changing relationship between parliaments and citizens. While emphasizing the diversity among parliaments, it looks in particular at reforms designed to enhance this relationship. This report benefits from inputs from parliaments, parliamentarians, parliamentary development practitioners and academics. The annex contains key statistical data on parliaments.