Federal Statistical System
The 13 principal statistical agencies
The Federal statistical system consists of 13 principal statistical agencies each tasked with collecting, processing, analyzing, and disseminating data in their subject areas.
|
Seal |
Agency |
Department or Agency |
Established |
FY21 Budget (millions)A |
|
U.S. Department of Commerce |
1903 |
$1,121.2 |
||
|
1884 |
$655.0 |
|||
|
U.S. Department of Education |
1867 |
$334.1 |
||
|
U.S. Department of Agriculture |
1961 |
$183.9 |
||
|
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |
1960 |
$175.4 |
||
|
U.S. Department of Energy |
1977 |
$126.8 |
||
|
1972 |
$111.9 |
|||
|
1979 |
$92.2 |
|||
|
1961 |
$85.5 |
|||
|
1950 |
$66.1 |
|||
|
Statistics of Income Division, |
1862 |
$37.4 |
||
|
Social Security Administration |
1935 |
$33.7 |
||
|
U.S. Department of Transportation |
1992 |
$26.0 |
A Source: White House, “Leveraging Federal Statistics to Strengthen Evidence-Based Decision-Making” (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/ap_15_statistics_fy2023.pdf).
Coordination
The Office of the Chief Statistician is responsible for coordinating the Federal statistical system, aiming to ensure its efficiency, effectiveness, integrity, objectivity, impartiality, utility, and confidentiality of information collected for statistical purposes. Part of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of the Chief Statistician develops and maintains statistical policies and standards, promulgates regulations, identifies priorities for improving programs, assesses statistical agency budgets, and reviews and approves agencies’ plans to collect information from households, businesses, and government entities.
The Interagency Council of Statistical Policy (ICSP) advises and assists the Director of OMB in coordinating the statistical system and setting statistical policy. The Chief Statistician of the U.S, currently Dr. Karin Orvis, chairs the ICSP. The ICSP has 24 members, including the heads of the 13 principal statistical agencies and 11 others designated as Statistical Officials in other departments or agencies that have a statistical agency or unit.
Advisory Committees
The various statistical agencies have advisory committees that help review agency activities and bring perspectives of outside experts and stakeholders into decision making. Most have regular meetings the public can attend. Most also periodically request nominations for new members; serving as an advisory committee member is an excellent way to contribute to sustained improvements in collection and dissemination of economic data and statistics.
Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee (FESAC) -- advises the Directors of the Department of Commerce's statistical agencies, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Commissioner of the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), on statistical methodology and other technical matters related to the collection, tabulation, and analysis of federal economic statistics.
Census Bureau’s Scientific Advisory Committee (CSAC) -- advises the Census Bureau director on the uses of scientific developments in statistical data collection, survey methodology, geospatial and statistical analysis, econometrics, cognitive psychology, business operations and computer science as they pertain to the full range of Census Bureau programs and activities, including census tests, policies and operations.
BEA Advisory Committee -- advises the Director of BEA on matters related to the development and improvement of BEA's national, regional, industry, and international economic accounts, especially in areas of new and rapidly growing economic activities arising from innovative and advancing technologies, and provides recommendations from the perspectives of the economics profession, business, and government.
Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee (NAC) -- considers topics such as hard to reach populations, race and ethnicity, language, aging populations, American Indian and Alaska Native tribal considerations, new immigrant populations, populations affected by natural disasters, highly mobile and migrant populations, complex households, rural populations, and population segments with limited access to technology. The Committee also advises on data privacy and confidentiality, among other issues.
BLS Technical Advisory Committee (BLSTAC) -- advises the Commissioner of Labor Statistics on statistical methodology and other technical matters related to the collection and analysis of BLS data.
BLS Data Users Advisory Committee (DUAC) -- provides advice to the Bureau of Labor Statistics from the points of view of data users from various sectors of the U.S. economy, including the labor, business, research, academic and government communities, on matters related to the analysis, dissemination, and use of the Bureau’s statistics, on its published reports, and on gaps between or the need for new Bureau statistics.