A new SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus poll finds that a large majority of the U.S. adults see federal statistics, such as the unemployment rate, the population count, and obesity statistics, as important for decision-making and understanding our society. However, U.S. adults are divided on how much confidence they have in federal statistics and the federal agencies that collect them.

These findings are part of an SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus poll conducted June 6 – 10, 2025, among a nationally representative sample of 1,029 adults aged 18 and older.

The Public’s Views About the Importance of Federal Statistics

More than two-thirds of the U.S. adults see federal statistics, such as the unemployment rate, the population count, and obesity statistics, as important for decision-making and understanding our society.

• 71% believe public officials need federal statistics to make good decisions about things like funding and where to locate hospitals and schools.
• 68% believe federal statistics are important for understanding our society.
• 71% believe the collection of federal statistics should continue regardless of politics.

Majorities of all major demographic groups share each of these positive views about federal statistics, including large majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

Public Confidence in Federal Statistics and the Federal Agencies That Collect Them

However, U.S. adults are divided in how much confidence they have in federal statistics and the federal agencies that collect them:

• About half (53%) report that they tend to trust federal statistics in the U.S.; 47% say they tend not to trust them.
• 46% agree with the statement that statistics provided by federal agencies are generally accurate; 23% disagree, and 31% neither agree nor disagree.
• 38% agree with the statement that federal statistical agencies are honest and professional; 21% disagree, and 41% neither agree nor disagree.

Partisan differences are more evident on these confidence measures. While Republicans (56%) and Democrats (57%) do not differ significantly on whether they tend to trust federal statistics, Independents (47%) are less likely to express trust. The groups most likely to express trust in federal statistics are college graduates (62%, compared to 48% of those without a college degree) and liberals (60%, compared to 49% of conservatives).

Democrats (58%) are more likely than either Republicans (46%) or Independents (39%) to agree with the statement that statistics provided by federal agencies are generally accurate. Aside from Democrats, other groups most likely to agree are liberals (60%, compared to 42% of conservatives and moderates) and college graduates (56%, compared with 41% of those without a college degree).

Similarly, Democrats (53%) are more likely than Republicans (34%) or Independents (31%) to agree that the people who work for federal statistical agencies are honest and professional. The group least likely to agree with this statement is rural residents (27%, compared with 44% of urban dwellers and 37% of suburbanites); about an equal proportion of rural residents (28%) disagree with the statement, while 45% neither agree nor disagree.

It is worth noting that more than three in ten U.S. adults report that they neither agree nor disagree with the statements about accuracy (31%) and honesty/professionalism (41%), which may indicate that they do not feel informed enough to respond or simply do not have an opinion one way or the other. Those who actually express an opinion one way or the other are about twice as likely to agree than disagree that federal statistics are generally accurate (46% to 23%) and that people at federal statistical agencies are honest and professional (38% to 21%).

The Public’s Confidence in Government and the Media

The SSRS poll also asked U.S. adults about the level of confidence they have in five selected areas of government and the media. While federal statistics rate relatively well in comparison to the other four areas, the public is divided in their level of confidence in federal statistics. About one in four (27%) say they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in federal statistics, such as the unemployment rate, the population count, or obesity statistics, while 43% have some confidence, and 29% have very little or no confidence.

About one in five (21%) say they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in their state government, while 40% have some confidence, and 39% have very little or no confidence. About half of U.S. adults report that they have very little or no confidence at all in mass media, such as newspapers, radio, and television (48%), and the federal government (49%). Only 6% say they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in influencers on social media, while 71% have very little or no confidence at all.

Confidence in federal statistics varies little among groups in the adult population. The group most likely to have very little or no confidence at all in federal statistics is Black adults (41%, compared to 27% of White and 25% of Hispanic adults). Independents (34%) are more likely than either Republicans (24%) or Democrats (26%) to express very little or no confidence.

Confidence in their own state government is relatively even across groups.

On the other hand, confidence in the mass media varies widely among groups. Republicans (65%) are significantly more likely than Independents (48%), who in turn are more likely than Democrats (28%) to express very little or no confidence in the mass media. Conservatives (67%) are twice as likely as liberals (32%) to express very little or no confidence, and white adults (56%) are more likely than Black adults (34%) or Hispanic adults (34%). Residents of the Midwest (59%) are more likely than those in any other region to express this low level of confidence.

While we have been accustomed to Democrats and liberals having more confidence in the federal government than Republicans and conservatives, current Republican control of the both the White House and both houses of Congress has reversed this relationship. Democrats (61%) and Independents (53%) are significantly more likely than Republicans (31%) to say they have very little or no confidence in the federal government. Liberals (66%) are more likely than moderates (47%) or conservatives (39%) to have this low level of confidence.

No major political or demographic groups among U.S. adults have much confidence in influencers on social media.

Who Uses Federal Statistics?

In the new SSRS poll, four in ten (40%) of U.S. adults report that they have used or talked about federal statistics, such as the unemployment rate, the population count, or obesity statistics, for school, work, or for any other purposes. Reported use of federal statistics is highest among adults aged 18-29 (55%) and college graduates (51%).

Reported use of federal statistics is similar among Republicans (36%), Democrats (39%), and Independents (42%).

Methodology

Interviews for this study were conducted on the SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus on June 6 – 10, 2025, among a nationally representative sample of 1,029 respondents aged 18 and older. The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The design effect is 1.29.

The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is a multi-client, probability-based survey that fields twice a month. It delivers a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults aged 18 or older in English (with Spanish language option). Data collection is conducted online and via phone (for non-internet and web-reluctant respondents) using the probability-based SSRS Opinion Panel.

All SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus data are weighted to represent the target population of U.S. adults ages 18 or older.  View the questions used for this analysis, along with the responses (topline) >>

The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is conducted on the SSRS Opinion Panel. SSRS Opinion Panel members are recruited randomly based on a nationally representative ABS (Address Based Sample) design (including Hawaii and Alaska). ABS respondents are randomly sampled by Marketing Systems Group (MSG) through the U.S. Postal Service’s Computerized Delivery Sequence File (CDS), a regularly updated listing of all known addresses in the U.S. For the SSRS Opinion Panel, known business addresses are excluded from the sample frame.

The SSRS Opinion Panel is a multi-mode panel (web and phone). Most panelists take self-administered web surveys; however, the option to take surveys conducted by a live telephone interviewer is available to those who do not use the internet as well as those who use the internet but are reluctant to take surveys online.  All sample drawn for this study were SSRS Opinion Panelists who are U.S. adults ages 18 or older. Sample was selected to ensure representation by age, gender, race and ethnicity, education, Census region, and party identification. Possible sources of non-sampling error include non-response bias, as well as question wording and ordering effects.