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Government Information Resources: Data & Statistics

This guide will introduce you to a wealth of government information resources and services.

Data and Statistics

United States Data and Statistics

How can data and statistics help you with your projects or research? Statistics help to supplement and add additional support to your research paper. Data can help one analyze, interpret and explain information.

United States Census Bureau

To locate data on topics such as employment, families, race, education, business, geography, population, and more go to the United States Census Bureau.

Statistics

Federal Government Data and Statistics

These federal agency programs collect, analyze, and disseminate statistical data and information:

  • Bureau of Economic Analysis collects information on economic indicators, national and international trade, accounts, and industry.
  • Bureau of Justice Statistics reports on justice systems, crime, criminal offenders, and victims of crime.
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics measures labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the U.S. economy.
  • Bureau of Transportation Statistics provides data on airline on-time performance, pirates at sea, transportation safety and availability, motorcycle trends, and more.
  • Census Bureau is the main source of data about our nation's people and economy.
  • DAP Public Dashboard provides a window into how people are interacting with the government online.
  • Data.gov is the home of the U.S. Government's open data. Find federal, state, and local data, tools, and resources to conduct research, build apps, design data visualizations, and more. 
  • Economic Research Service informs public and private decision making on economic and policy issues related to agriculture, food, the environment, and rural development.  
  • Energy Information Administration provides data on U.S. use of coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, renewable energy, and more.
  • Internal Revenue Service Tax Statistics examine tax returns to report on such things as sources of income, exemptions, use of medical savings accounts, migration, and geographic data, tax information on foreign corporations controlled by U.S. parent corporations, exports, international boycotts, and investments and activities in the U.S. by foreign persons.
  • National Agricultural Statistical Service researches data on food production and supply, organic sales, chemical use, demographics of U.S. producers, and more. Every five years it conducts the Census of Agriculture that provides agricultural data for every county in the United States.
  • National Center for Education Statistics researches education in the United States. It publishes the Digest of Education Statistics, which includes international comparisons of students, and the annual report to Congress, The Condition of Educationwhich reports the progress of American education.
  • National Center for Health Statistics is the principal health statistics agency for improving the health of the American people.
  • National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics publishes data on the American science and engineering workforce and the progress of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States.
  • Office of Personnel Management provides statistics on the Federal civilian workforce through data sources such as FedScope.
  • Social Security Administration Office of Research Evaluation and Statistics offers data on social security program benefits, payments, covered workers, and more.
  • USAspending.gov is the official source for spending data for the U.S. government. Learn about the size of the federal budget, and how the government spends that money on a national level and around the country.