May 7, 2020
Overview of FY2021 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
Introduction
The $83.3 million FY2021 request for Current
This In Focus presents an overview of FY2021
Demographic Statistics is $6.0 million (6.8%) less than the
discretionary budget authority for the Census Bureau,
$89.3 million FY2020-enacted amount.
including the FY2021 budget request, related congressional
actions, and comparisons with FY2020 funding. As a
Periodic Censuses and Programs
Department of Commerce (DOC) agency, the bureau is
In the FY2021 request, Periodic Censuses and Programs
funded through the Departments of Commerce and Justice,
(PCP) would receive $1,392.7 million, $5,891.6 million
Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bills.
(80.9%) below the FY2020-enacted $7,284.3 million, and
83.3% of the Census Bureau’s total FY2021 request. (In
FY2021 Budget Request
contrast, the FY2020 request of $5,885.4 million for PCP
The Administration’s $1,672.0 million FY2021 budget
was 95.7% of the bureau’s $6,149.4 million total, mainly to
request for the Census Bureau is $5,886.3 million (77.9%)
fund the 2020 decennial census in its peak year of
below the $7,558.3 million appropriated for FY2020. The
operations and expenses. The request for the census
FY2021 request is divided between the bureau’s two major
typically declines steeply after the census year.) About $3.6
accounts, Current Surveys and Programs, and Periodic
million of the FY2021 amount for PCP is to be transferred
Censuses and Programs.
to the DOC Office of Inspector General (OIG) for
continuing bureau oversight. Four major programs under
Current Surveys and Programs
PCP are discussed below.
The FY2021 request for Current Surveys and Programs is
$279.3 million, $5.3 million (1.9%) above the $274.0
2020 Decennial Census
million enacted for FY2020. Under this account are Current
The decennial census is the bureau’s largest, most costly
Economic Statistics and Current Demographic Statistics.
undertaking. Article I, Section 2, clause 3 of the U.S.
Constitution, as amended by Section 2 of the Fourteenth
Current Economic Statistics
Amendment, requires a population count every 10 years, to
Current Economic Statistics include business, construction,
apportion seats in the House of Representatives. The data
manufacturing, general economic, foreign trade, and
also are used to redraw state congressional and legislative
government statistics that, as the FY2021 budget
districts and, with census-related American Community
justification for the Census Bureau states, “provide critical
Survey (ACS) data and intercensal estimates, in formulas to
information” about the U.S. economy and underlie “key
determine states’ and localities’ annual shares of federal
economic indicators” like the gross domestic product
funds, estimated by the Census Bureau as of FY2015 at
(GDP).
$689.3 billion and by an academic researcher as of FY2017
at $1.5 trillion.
The request for Current Economic Statistics in FY2021 is
$196.0 million, $11.3 million (6.1%) above the $184.7
The FY2021 request for the 2020 census is $812.4 million,
million enacted for FY2020.
$5,883.6 million (87.9%) less than the $6,696.0 million
enacted for FY2020. The budget justification states that
Current Demographic Statistics
the FY2020-enacted amount includes $669 million for
Current Demographic Statistics include those from
“contingency needs that may arise” during the census,
household surveys like the Survey of Income and Program
“such as major disasters or other unforeseen risks realized,
Participation (SIPP) and the Current Population Survey
and $263 million in additional sensitivity risks” if initial
(CPS), which is undertaken jointly by the Census Bureau
response rates are lower than projected. “Combined with
and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is two-thirds funded
funding provided in prior year appropriations,” the
by BLS, and provides monthly unemployment rates. Other
justification continues, the “bureau has $7.9 billion
Current Demographic Statistics are analyses of population
available to support the 2020 decennial operation.” An
and housing characteristics, as in the Current Population
April 27, 2020, House Oversight and Reform Committee
Reports, which are based on CPS and other data and are the
press release noted an April 24 committee briefing by
official source of U.S. income and poverty statistics; the
senior bureau officials, including the bureau’s chief
Housing Vacancy Survey; intercensal demographic and
financial officer. He reported the amount of contingency
housing unit estimates for the total United States and
funding as $2 billion and said, according to the release, that
subnational geographic levels; and population projections
the bureau “currently anticipates using only $1.5 billion” of
into the future.
the $2 billion “in connection with the delay in operations
and response to the coronavirus outbreak” (COVID-19; see
CRS In Focus IF11486, 2020 Census Fieldwork Delayed by
COVID-19, by Jennifer D. Williams).
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Overview of FY2021 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
American Community Survey
During FY2021, the release of 2017 Economic Census data
The ACS, which the bureau implemented nationwide in
is to continue; 2022 census planning and development also
2005 and 2006, is the replacement for the decennial census
are to continue.
long form that, from 1940 to 2000, collected detailed
socioeconomic and housing data from a sample of U.S.
The $136.0 million FY2021 economic census request is
residents as the census was administered. The ACS is sent
$8.4 million (6.5%) more than the $127.6 million FY2020-
monthly to small population samples. It covers more than
enacted amount.
3.5 million households a year in every U.S. county and the
District of Columbia. The monthly data are aggregated to
Census of Governments
produce new estimates every year for areas with at least
The census of governments, conducted since 1957, is the
65,000 people and every five years for areas from the most
bureau’s other major quinquennial census. The budget
populous to those with fewer than 20,000 people.
justification calls this census “the primary source of facts
According to the budget justification, the bureau releases
about the structure and function of the public sector of the
more than 11 billion ACS estimates annually on more than
U.S. economy,” which accounts for about 12% of GDP and
40 “social, demographic, housing, and economic” topics.
15% of the civilian labor force.
The ACS “is the only source” of data on “many of these
topics for rural areas and small populations.” Similarly, the
In FY2021, the bureau plans to continue reengineering the
Puerto Rico Community Survey is conducted across 78
2022 Census of Governments to feature all-electronic
county-equivalents there.
responses and greater reliance on administrative records to
reduce respondent burden.
The FY2021 request for the ACS is $226.4 million, $8.4
million (3.8%) above the $218.0 million enacted for
The $11.8 million FY2021 census of governments request
FY2020.
is $168,000 (1.4%) below the $12.0 million enacted for
FY2020.
Economic Census
The economic census originated when, the Census Bureau
Congressional Action
has written, “Congress responded to a rapid increase in
FY2021 CJS appropriations legislation has not been
industrial activity” by instructing 1810 census enumerators
introduced yet in the House or Senate.
to take “‘an account of the several manufacturing
establishments and manufactures’” under their purview.
The modern economic census occurs every five years. It is,
the budget justification states, “the foundation” for
Jennifer D. Williams, Specialist in American National
measuring “U.S. businesses and their economic impact.”
Government
Economic census and related statistics provided to the
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are “key data” for
IF11538
estimating GDP and other principal economic indicators.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Overview of FY2021 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11538 · VERSION 1 · NEW