Count on Stats

Count on Stats

The Context

The federal statistical system generates data informing decision-makers from Wall Street to Main Street to the halls of Congress and beyond. Without federal agencies’ data collection and analysis, we would not have key insights into public health, economic trends, community issues, public safety, the environment, or countless other facets that are vital to our society.

How We Count on Stats

The federal statistical system is decentralized across the federal government with 13 primary statistical agencies and approximately 100 statistical offices. These federal statistical agencies collect, analyze, and disseminate critical statistical data and information such as the following:

 
STATISTICAL AGENCY
EXAMPLES OF DATA
USERS OF DATA
 
Economic indicators (GDP), international trade
Consumers, businesses, economists, investors, policymakers
 
Justice systems, crime, incarceration rates
Correctional agencies, law enforcement, policymakers
 
Inflation, employment, earnings, working conditions
Consumers, businesses, Federal Reserve, policymakers
 
Airline on-time performance, pirates at sea, transportation trends
Businesses, urban planners, policymakers
 
Main source of data about population and economy
Individuals, businesses, nonprofits, policymakers, public health officials, urban planners
 
Use and price of coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, renewable energy
Consumers, businesses, energy producers, policymakers
 
Agriculture, food, the environment, and rural development
Agriculturalists, consumers, farmers, nonprofits, policymakers
 
Food production and supply, organic sales, chemical use
Agriculturalists, businesses, consumers, farmers, policymakers
 
Education data, literacy rates, international comparisons of students
Educators, parents, policymakers, students
 
Life expectancy, health insurance coverage, health trends
Individuals, policymakers, public health officials, researchers
 
Science and engineering workforce, R&D expenditures
Educators, businesses, policymakers, researchers
 
Social security benefits, payments, covered workers
Individuals, businesses, policymakers
 
Income sources, exemptions, tax revenue, international boycotts
Individuals, estates, nonprofits, trusts, investors, policymakers

 

Sources: Count on Stats, USA.gov

Goals
  • Education
    Inform the public, key stakeholders, and influencers of the system and the importance of public participation in the production and use of federal statistics.
  • Awareness
    Signal the importance, integrity, and trustworthiness of government data.
  • Authority
    Provide a strong, independent, and non-partisan voice that supports the federal statistical system.
  • Advocacy
    Ensure no attack on federal statistical agencies and their work goes unanswered.
Federal Statistical System
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
Economic Research Service (ERS)
Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Internal Revenue Service Statistics of Income Division (SOI)
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES)
Social Security Administration Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics (ORES)
US Census Bureau
Partners

Through the Count on Stats initiative, the ASA has been joined by the following organizations in support of the federal statistical system:

AAPOR
AERA
American Mathematical Society
Association of Population Centers
APDU
APSA
ASA
COPAFS
COSSA
Data Coaltion
Insights Association
NABE
Population Association of America
SABEW
 
Resources
The US Data Infrastructure

Contact

Contact Count on Stats