In the United States, the federal statistical system (FSS) refers to a decentralized network of federal agencies which produce data and official statistics about the people, economy, natural resources, and infrastructure of the country. It is led by the Chief Statistician of the United States (CSOTUS) and the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy and is composed of 13 principal statistical agencies and 3 recognized statistical units, 24 Statistical Officials (across 24 major cabinet agencies), approximately 100 additional Federal statistical programs engaged in statistical activities, and several cross system interagency and advisory bodies.
Background
In contrast to many other countries, the United States does not have a primary statistical agency. Instead, the statistical system is decentralized, with 13 statistical agencies, two of which are independent agencies and the remaining 11 generally located in different government departments. This structure keeps statistical work in close proximity to the various cabinet-level departments that use the information. In addition, three other statistical units of government agencies are recognized by the OMB as having statistical work as part of their mission.
As of fiscal year 2013 (FY13), the 13 principal statistical agencies have statistical activities as their core mission and conduct much of the government's statistical work. A further 89 federal agencies were appropriated at least $500,000 of statistical work in FY11, FY12, or FY13 in conjunction with their primary missions. All together, the total budget allocated to the Federal Statistical System is estimated to be $6.7 billion for FY13. In FY20, FY21, and FY22, the total budgets allocated to the Federal Statistical System are estimated to be $12.0, $7.0, and $7.1 billion, respectively. The larger budget size of FY20 is attributable to the 2020 census, amounting to 54% of the FY20 budget.
The federal statistical system is coordinated through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). OMB establishes and enforces statistical policies and standards, ensures that resources are proposed for priority statistical programs, and approves statistical surveys conducted by the Federal government under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Chief Statistician of the United States, also housed within OMB, provides oversight, coordination, and guidance for Federal statistical activities, working in collaboration with leaders of statistical agencies.
Centralization efforts
To streamline operations and reduce costs, several proposals have been made to consolidate the federal statistical system into fewer agencies, or even a single agency. In 2011, President Barack Obama's proposal to reorganize the U.S. Department of Commerce included placing several statistical agencies under one umbrella.
Principal statistical agencies
| Seal | Agency | Department | Established | FY13 budget est. (millions) | FY22 budget est. (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Census Bureau | U.S. Department of Commerce | 1903 | $1,000.4 | $1,518.8 |
 | Bureau of Labor Statistics | U.S. Department of Labor | 1884 | $618.2 | $700.1 |
 | National Center for Education Statistics | U.S. Department of Education | 1867 | $317.0 | $333.6 |
 | National Agricultural Statistics Service | U.S. Department of Agriculture | 1961 | $179.5 | $193.7 |
 | National Center for Health Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | 1960 | $161.8 | $175.4 |
 | Energy Information Administration | U.S. Department of Energy | 1977 | $116.4 | $126.8 |
 | Bureau of Economic Analysis | U.S. Department of Commerce | 1972 | $96.5 | $112.7 |
 | Economic Research Service | U.S. Department of Agriculture | 1961 | $77.4 | $90.6 |
 | Bureau of Justice Statistics | U.S. Department of Justice | 1979 | $68.0 | $54.4 |
 | National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (National Science Foundation) | Independent agency | 1950 | $42.6 | $72.6 |
 | Statistics of Income Division (Internal Revenue Service) | U.S. Department of the Treasury | 1862 | $39.5 | $41.3 |
 | Bureau of Transportation Statistics | U.S. Department of Transportation | 1992 | $38.0 | $26.0 |
 | Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics (Social Security Administration) | Independent agency | 1935 | $29.3 | $37.8 |
| Agency | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census Bureau | 46,117 | 317,661 | 37,573 | 17,403 |
| Bureau of Labor Statistics | 2,193 | 2,200 | 2,228 | 2,360 |
| National Center for Education Statistics | 93 | 93 | 96 | 98 |
| National Agricultural Statistics Service | 894 | 870 | 892 | 911 |
| National Center for Health Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) | 501 | 481 | 486 | 481 |
| Energy Information Administration | 333 | 359 | 359 | 366 |
| Bureau of Economic Analysis | 503 | 455 | 495 | 495 |
| Economic Research Service | 316 | 329 | 275 | 332 |
| Bureau of Justice Statistics | 56 | 50 | 53 | 53 |
| National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (National Science Foundation) | 57 | 57 | 54 | 54 |
| Statistics of Income Division (Internal Revenue Service) | 139 | 140 | 144 | 138 |
| Bureau of Transportation Statistics | 60 | 61 | 63 | 80 |
| Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics (Social Security Administration) | 80 | 70 | 69 | 68 |
| Agency | Statisticians | Economists | Research Scientists | Other Statistical Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census Bureau | 2,252 | 117 | 0 | 0 |
| Bureau of Labor Statistics | 165 | 1,169 | 10 | 370 |
| National Center for Education Statistics | 55 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| National Agricultural Statistics Service | 591 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| National Center for Health Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) | 168 | 0 | 87 | 0 |
| Energy Information Administration | 84 | 84 | 66 | 10 |
| Bureau of Economic Analysis | 8 | 284 | 0 | 51 |
| Economic Research Service | 3 | 248 | 0 | 3 |
| Bureau of Justice Statistics | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (National Science Foundation) | 25 | 3 | 0 | 14 |
| Statistics of Income Division (Internal Revenue Service) | 21 | 42 | 0 | 1 |
| Bureau of Transportation Statistics | 24 | 15 | 0 | 41 |
| Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics (Social Security Administration) | 2 | 17 | 17 | 32 |
Note: Statisticians include statisticians and mathematical statisticians, and research scientists include health scientists, epidemiologists, and educational research scientists. Other statistical personnel may include social science analysts, social insurance administrators, economic assistants, geographers, spatial data analysts, program supervisors, program managers, program analysts, accountants, general engineers, mechanical engineers, writers and editors, visual designers, geologists, cartographers, librarians, operations research analysts, mathematicians, statistical assistants, transportation specialists, transportation industry analysts, and information technology managers—position.
Statistical units
These are subcomponents of agencies recognized by the OMB as having statistical work as part of their mission:
- Microeconomic Surveys Unit (Federal Reserve Board of Governors)
- Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services)
- National Animal Health Monitoring System (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of Agriculture)
Cross system bodies
Interagency Council on Statistical Policy
Started in 1989, the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy (ICSP) was originally created to improve communication among the heads of the principal statistical agencies, and later was charged with advising and assisting the CSOTUS. The Evidence Act expanded membership to include the newly established Statistical Officials across major cabinet agencies, 11 of which are also heads of principal statistical agencies. The ICSP, led by the CSOTUS, supports implementation of the statistical system's vision to operate as a seamless system, working together to provide strategic vision and robust implementation in support of the U.S. Federal statistical system's critical longstanding — and expanding — role for supporting evidence-based decision-making. For example, the ICSP sets strategic goals for modernizing the statistical system, as well as enhancing coordination and collaboration across the system, recognizing the efficiencies and advancements possible when taking advantage of the whole system's statistical infrastructure and expertise.
Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology
The mission of the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM) includes advising the CSOTUS and ICSP on methodological and statistical issues that affect the quality of Federal data. The FCSM sponsors regular conferences, hosts seminars and workshops, sponsors interest groups on statistical methodology topics of broad Federal interest, and develops best practices and tools to support the Federal statistical system and the broader Federal data community.
Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee
The Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee (FESAC) advises the Directors of the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of the Census and the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on statistical methodology and other technical matters related to the collection, tabulation, and analysis of federal economic statistics.
See also
- Federal Statistical Research Data Centers
References
- "Principal Statistical Agencies and Recognized Units". The White House. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
- "The Federal Statistical System".
- Fecso, Ronald S. (February 24, 2012). "Agencies Can Make Greater Use of Existing Data, but Continued Progress Is Needed on Access and Quality Issues". Government Accountability Office. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- Zients, Jeffrey D. (November 26, 2012). "Statistical Programs of the United States Government" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- Young, Shalanda. "Statistical Programs of the United States Government" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- Wallman, Katherine K. "Statistical Programs of the United States Government" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 23, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- "Proposal to Form a Federal Statistical Service". Government Accountability Office. March 22, 1996. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- Lipowicz, Alice (January 17, 2012). "Obama reorganization could affect at least 12 agencies". Federal Computer Week. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
External links
- Official website
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- ICSP
- FCSM
- FESAC
In the United States the federal statistical system FSS refers to a decentralized network of federal agencies which produce data and official statistics about the people economy natural resources and infrastructure of the country It is led by the Chief Statistician of the United States CSOTUS and the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy and is composed of 13 principal statistical agencies and 3 recognized statistical units 24 Statistical Officials across 24 major cabinet agencies approximately 100 additional Federal statistical programs engaged in statistical activities and several cross system interagency and advisory bodies BackgroundIn contrast to many other countries the United States does not have a primary statistical agency Instead the statistical system is decentralized with 13 statistical agencies two of which are independent agencies and the remaining 11 generally located in different government departments This structure keeps statistical work in close proximity to the various cabinet level departments that use the information In addition three other statistical units of government agencies are recognized by the OMB as having statistical work as part of their mission As of fiscal year 2013 FY13 the 13 principal statistical agencies have statistical activities as their core mission and conduct much of the government s statistical work A further 89 federal agencies were appropriated at least 500 000 of statistical work in FY11 FY12 or FY13 in conjunction with their primary missions All together the total budget allocated to the Federal Statistical System is estimated to be 6 7 billion for FY13 In FY20 FY21 and FY22 the total budgets allocated to the Federal Statistical System are estimated to be 12 0 7 0 and 7 1 billion respectively The larger budget size of FY20 is attributable to the 2020 census amounting to 54 of the FY20 budget The federal statistical system is coordinated through the Office of Management and Budget OMB OMB establishes and enforces statistical policies and standards ensures that resources are proposed for priority statistical programs and approves statistical surveys conducted by the Federal government under the Paperwork Reduction Act The Chief Statistician of the United States also housed within OMB provides oversight coordination and guidance for Federal statistical activities working in collaboration with leaders of statistical agencies Centralization effortsTo streamline operations and reduce costs several proposals have been made to consolidate the federal statistical system into fewer agencies or even a single agency In 2011 President Barack Obama s proposal to reorganize the U S Department of Commerce included placing several statistical agencies under one umbrella Principal statistical agenciesPrincipal statistical agencies Seal Agency Department Established FY13 budget est millions FY22 budget est millions Census Bureau U S Department of Commerce 1903 1 000 4 1 518 8Bureau of Labor Statistics U S Department of Labor 1884 618 2 700 1National Center for Education Statistics U S Department of Education 1867 317 0 333 6National Agricultural Statistics Service U S Department of Agriculture 1961 179 5 193 7National Center for Health Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention U S Department of Health and Human Services 1960 161 8 175 4Energy Information Administration U S Department of Energy 1977 116 4 126 8Bureau of Economic Analysis U S Department of Commerce 1972 96 5 112 7Economic Research Service U S Department of Agriculture 1961 77 4 90 6Bureau of Justice Statistics U S Department of Justice 1979 68 0 54 4National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics National Science Foundation Independent agency 1950 42 6 72 6Statistics of Income Division Internal Revenue Service U S Department of the Treasury 1862 39 5 41 3Bureau of Transportation Statistics U S Department of Transportation 1992 38 0 26 0Office of Research Evaluation and Statistics Social Security Administration Independent agency 1935 29 3 37 8 Total staff levels of principal statistical agencies 2019 2022 Agency 2019 2020 2021 2022Census Bureau 46 117 317 661 37 573 17 403Bureau of Labor Statistics 2 193 2 200 2 228 2 360National Center for Education Statistics 93 93 96 98National Agricultural Statistics Service 894 870 892 911National Center for Health Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 501 481 486 481Energy Information Administration 333 359 359 366Bureau of Economic Analysis 503 455 495 495Economic Research Service 316 329 275 332Bureau of Justice Statistics 56 50 53 53National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics National Science Foundation 57 57 54 54Statistics of Income Division Internal Revenue Service 139 140 144 138Bureau of Transportation Statistics 60 61 63 80Office of Research Evaluation and Statistics Social Security Administration 80 70 69 68Number of Statisticians Economists Research Scientists and Other Statistical Personnel in Principal Statistical Agencies Year 2022 Agency Statisticians Economists Research Scientists Other Statistical PersonnelCensus Bureau 2 252 117 0 0Bureau of Labor Statistics 165 1 169 10 370National Center for Education Statistics 55 1 0 0National Agricultural Statistics Service 591 0 1 0National Center for Health Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 168 0 87 0Energy Information Administration 84 84 66 10Bureau of Economic Analysis 8 284 0 51Economic Research Service 3 248 0 3Bureau of Justice Statistics 33 0 0 0National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics National Science Foundation 25 3 0 14Statistics of Income Division Internal Revenue Service 21 42 0 1Bureau of Transportation Statistics 24 15 0 41Office of Research Evaluation and Statistics Social Security Administration 2 17 17 32 Note Statisticians include statisticians and mathematical statisticians and research scientists include health scientists epidemiologists and educational research scientists Other statistical personnel may include social science analysts social insurance administrators economic assistants geographers spatial data analysts program supervisors program managers program analysts accountants general engineers mechanical engineers writers and editors visual designers geologists cartographers librarians operations research analysts mathematicians statistical assistants transportation specialists transportation industry analysts and information technology managers position Statistical unitsThese are subcomponents of agencies recognized by the OMB as having statistical work as part of their mission Microeconomic Surveys Unit Federal Reserve Board of Governors Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Department of Health and Human Services National Animal Health Monitoring System Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Department of Agriculture Cross system bodiesInteragency Council on Statistical Policy Started in 1989 the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy ICSP was originally created to improve communication among the heads of the principal statistical agencies and later was charged with advising and assisting the CSOTUS The Evidence Act expanded membership to include the newly established Statistical Officials across major cabinet agencies 11 of which are also heads of principal statistical agencies The ICSP led by the CSOTUS supports implementation of the statistical system s vision to operate as a seamless system working together to provide strategic vision and robust implementation in support of the U S Federal statistical system s critical longstanding and expanding role for supporting evidence based decision making For example the ICSP sets strategic goals for modernizing the statistical system as well as enhancing coordination and collaboration across the system recognizing the efficiencies and advancements possible when taking advantage of the whole system s statistical infrastructure and expertise Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology The mission of the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology FCSM includes advising the CSOTUS and ICSP on methodological and statistical issues that affect the quality of Federal data The FCSM sponsors regular conferences hosts seminars and workshops sponsors interest groups on statistical methodology topics of broad Federal interest and develops best practices and tools to support the Federal statistical system and the broader Federal data community Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee The Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee FESAC advises the Directors of the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of the Census and the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on statistical methodology and other technical matters related to the collection tabulation and analysis of federal economic statistics See alsoFederal Statistical Research Data CentersReferences Principal Statistical Agencies and Recognized Units The White House Retrieved 2024 10 30 The Federal Statistical System Fecso Ronald S February 24 2012 Agencies Can Make Greater Use of Existing Data but Continued Progress Is Needed on Access and Quality Issues Government Accountability Office Retrieved March 19 2013 Zients Jeffrey D November 26 2012 Statistical Programs of the United States Government PDF Office of Management and Budget Retrieved March 19 2013 Young Shalanda Statistical Programs of the United States Government PDF Office of Management and Budget Retrieved February 4 2024 Wallman Katherine K Statistical Programs of the United States Government PDF Office of Management and Budget Archived PDF from the original on January 23 2017 Retrieved March 19 2013 Proposal to Form a Federal Statistical Service Government Accountability Office March 22 1996 Retrieved March 19 2013 Lipowicz Alice January 17 2012 Obama reorganization could affect at least 12 agencies Federal Computer Week Retrieved March 19 2013 External linksOfficial website ICSP FCSM FESAC
