U S Government Accountability Office

Decennial census U S Government Accountability Office

" A complete count of the nation's population is an enormous challenge requiring the U. S. Census Bureau (Bureau) to balance requirements for accuracy with the need to control escalating costs. The 2010 Census was the costliest U. S. Census in history at about $13 billion, and was about 56 percent more costly than the $8 billion cost of the 2000 Census (in 2010 dollars). The fundamental challenge facing the Bureau going forward is cost effectively counting a population that is growing steadily larger, more diverse and becoming increasingly difficult to enumerate. As requested, this report assesses (1) the key factors affecting cost growth from the 2000 Census to the 2010 Census; (2) the Bureau's plans for controlling costs for the 2020 Census and what additional steps, if any, could be taken; and (3) the extent to which the Bureau's plans for developing life cycle cost estimates for 2020 are consistent with best practices. The report is based on GAO's analysis of Bureau data and documents as well as interviews with Bureau officials. "