The Census Project, formed of various organisations and companies who use data from the US census and American Community Survey, is pushing for more than the funding allocated for the 2022 fiscal year to help the Census Bureau catch up on what it called ‘long neglected research and modernisation efforts’.

On 15th July, the house appropriations committee approved funding requested by the president of $309,865,000 for current surveys and programmes and $1,132,537,000 for periodic censuses and programmes.

The group previously lobbied Congress to provide $2bn in funding, with an open letter signed by 33 senators.

Howard Fienberg, co-director of the Census Project and vice-president of advocacy at the Insights Association, said: “While we’re appreciative the administration and the house appropriations committee provided an increase in funding from fiscal year 2021, when at this point in the decennial census cycle we would ordinarily see a decrease, the Census Project remains committed to a higher level of funding for essential census programmes.”

Fienberg added: “Small investments now can lead to much better information for the country, the economy and every community across America, while potentially saving a lot of federal budget dollars later in the decade.”