Changes Are Coming to the U.S. Census and Federal Data Collection: How Will This Impact You?

The year 2030 will mark the decennial U.S. Census, and its data collection will reflect a plethora of changes and revisions that have been mandated by the Office of Management and Budget (OBM). These mandates reflect the biggest shift in American demographics in decades and will result in systemic impacts.

The driving force shaping these updates are the revisions to the Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 (SPD 15), which determines how federal agencies collect and report race and ethnicity. While updates like the addition of a Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) category and a single combined race-and-ethnicity question aim to capture a more accurate portrait of our diverse nation, these changes carry profound implications for Black Americans, affecting everything from: civil rights enforcement and political representation to how the diverse Black diaspora is counted.

Updates to Race /Ethnicity Standards from the Census Bureau:

"After years of scientific research, extensive public engagement, and Federal expert review and deliberation, on March 28, 2024, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published the results of its review of Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 (SPD 15) and issued updated standards for maintaining, collecting and presenting race/ethnicity data across federal agencies. The Census Bureau, like all other Federal Statistical agencies, is required to follow SPD 15. The Census Bureau is developing an action plan for implementing the updated standards in its censuses, surveys, and data programs by OMB’s required deadline of March 2029.

The key revisions in the 2024 SPD 15 include:

• Using a combined race/ethnicity question with co-equal categories and encouraging respondents to select as many options as apply.

• Adding Middle Eastern or North African as a new minimum category.

• Requiring the collection of additional detail beyond the minimum required race and ethnicity categories for most situations.

• Updating definitions, terminology, and guidance to agencies on the collection and presentation of data."

The Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 (SPD 15) also results in changes that include the write-in spaces, where granular data on specific national origins, ancestries or ethnic groups can be captured. The changes also include the updating of terminology used in data collection previously, to more modern terminology. to reflect race and ethnicity.

Visit the Census Bureau to access the full update.

A beautiful Black mother and child.

So, you're probably thinking, "That was a lot! Why does it matter?"

Here's the thing, while SPD 15 doesn't force agencies and organizations to collect race data, should they decide to collect it, they must follow the standards set forth by the policy. And by they, we mean: the decennial census, school forms, or public health surveys). The data collected using SPD 15 mandates directly dictates civil rights enforcement, congressional redistricting, and guides the distribution of federal funding.

Your voice matters!

Citizens are encouraged to submit a public comment regarding changes stated in this article and more, by October 13, 2026. Visit this link to make sure your voice is heard.