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The Federal Statistical System Under Threat

Learn about the Federal Statistical System and ways to support it. Public data is a public good!

The Federal Statistical System Under Threat
Diagram of the Federal Statistical System with the 13 agencies and other units.

At the Data Rescue Project, we mostly talk about public data as a public good. But today, we want to highlight the system that creates that data: the Federal Statistical System (FSS). If you aren’t familiar with the FSS, a good place to start is the Statistical Programs of the United States Government. This in-depth publication provides an overview of the significant characteristics and budget concerns of the FSS.

A key thing to know is that the U.S. Federal Statistical System is highly decentralized. We have thirteen Principal Statistical Agencies, three additional units, and around 100 programs with statistical activities. According to the American Statistical Association, the decentralized nature of our system has made collaboration and innovation challenging for statistical agencies. Nevertheless, the data created by this system has been

“widely trusted, widely used, and often the most authoritative source of information available on a variety of topics.” (Congressional Research Service, 2024)

In July, the American Statistical Association issued a new report called “The Nation’s Data at a Crossroads.”  The report is a year two status update for their project monitoring the Federal Statistical System and follows their report from July 2024 called “The Nation’s Data at Risk.” These reports are excellent reading if you are interested in the health of our nation’s data and statistics.

Some of the key points:

  • Users of federal data can still trust the statistics being released at the federal level, but staffing, budget reductions, and political interference could jeopardize future quality. (p. 2)
  • Cuts in data programs directly impact policy decisions and can further impact other programs that depend on the data. (p. 17) 
  • Many agencies saw a sharp decrease (16% minimum) in funding from 2009 to 2025. (p. 19)
  • The attacks on the FSS this summer undermined public trust in the system. (p. 21)
  • The ASA FedStat Health Project is the main project monitoring the system's health. (p. 22)

The ASA concludes that action needs to be taken to protect our statistical programs and the U.S.’s “global standing as a producer of trusted, high-quality data” (p. 25).

The Data Rescue Project recognizes that rescue is just a starting point. We need to raise awareness of the importance of this system, the public data it produces, and the impact on our lives if the system is disrupted. We call on our members to educate themselves and their communities. Worries about the health of this system aren’t just for data nerds. We all have a stake in this system.

We urge you to speak out. 

If you need help finding the right words, you are welcome to use or adjust this script in your phone calls, emails, or conversations with family members.

The US Government is one of the largest publishers of statistics globally. These statistics are created and managed through the Federal Statistics System, a non-partisan and distributed organization of agencies dedicated to ensuring high-quality data for wide use. Since 2009, most agencies in the FSS have seen a 16% loss in funding. Our nation’s health system relies on data produced and managed by FSS, which directly impacts the health of our country and its citizens. 
(if applicable) I urge the senator/representative to advocate for funding to FSS to ensure American statistics remain high-quality, usable, and a public good.

Further Reading and Resources:

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