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The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) was established several months after the establishment of the State of Israel, as an autonomous unit within the Prime Minister’s Office.
The establishment of the CBS was a direct continuation of the activities of the statistical departments of the British Mandate government,
and the Jewish Agency for Israel which operated during the period of the Mandate.
The CBS is headed by the Government Statistician, who also serves as the Director of the CBS, with a Public Council for Statistics accompanying him.
The CBS operates by the power of the Statistics Ordinance (New Version), 5732 - 1972. The Statistics Ordinance defines the tasks of the CBS, its mode of operation,
the obligation of the public to provide information to the CBS, the obligation of the CBS to safeguard the confidentiality of the information obtained, and the obligation of the CBS to publish the results of its statistical activities. |
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| The functions of the CBS: |
| To perform statistical activities and projects regarding the State and its population, in the fields of health, wellbeing, education, economy etc., as well as on the subjects of physical, geographic and ecological indices; and to publish the results;
To cooperate with State offices and other bodies in order to conduct statistical projects and to publish their results;
To prepare, in consultation with the Public Council for Statistics, multi-annual general schemes for the statistical activities of State offices;
To decide, in conjunction with the Public Council for Statistics and the bodies concerned, on uniform statistical classifications for the use of Government offices;
To collect and publish information on statistical projects that are performed or planned by or for the Bureau or State offices.
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| Three main guiding principles of CBS activities: |
 Independence - The CBS is an apolitical,
independent and professional body, which takes responsibility for the results of its professional activities.
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| Reliability - The CBS uses scientific methods based on international professional standards, and is meticulous in maintaining the reliability of the data.
The CBS is one of the statistical bureaus that has adopted the strict regulations of the International Monetary Fund for the dissemination of statistical data.
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| Strict confidentiality of personal data - Strict confidentiality of data is ensured according to the Statistics Ordinance.
The CBS maintains strict confidentiality of personal and business data as a basic premise guiding its activities. The CBS does not transmit any
personal information about residents, or any specific business information about companies and corporations.
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| The uniqueness of the CBS |
The data collected by the CBS are necessary for conducting a modern economy
and a democratic society. The questions asked in surveys
are determined by a committee of experts, which determines
the necessity of the questions in order to obtain information
on the topic being studied. In addition, the surveys provide
answers that are necessary for maintaining international agreements,
as well as for conducting research under the auspices of international institutions.
The questions addressed to the public are not commissioned by any private or commercial body or by any interested party;
also, they do not serve the purposes of any specific researcher.
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| The CBS's sources of information |
CBS data are available to a variety of target groups and for various possible uses, such as:
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The government sector and the local authorities - the data serve as a basis for setting policies
and decision-making in various fields, such as education, health, welfare, housing, development, etc. Among others, it includes preparing national and local building plans,
planning welfare services, schools, kindergartens, homes for the elderly, planning road systems and improving public transportation, development of entertainment centers and malls,
etc.
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International organizations- the UN, the International Monetary Fund,
UNESCO, the World Health Organization, OECD, etc.
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Bodies of research- the data serve as an essential source for research on various subjects, such as changes
in the composition of a population and its distribution, analysis and assessment of social and economic trends in the population, conducting population forecasts, etc.
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Private and public companies- the data serve as a basis for market research, assessment of the demand for
products and services, and information on the labour force.
| Journalists and the media- the data serve as an important
source for articles inquiries.
| Students and pupils - the information serves as a data base
for writing papers, including seminar papers and research projects for advanced degrees.
| The general public - the information assists in making decisions
on a personal level, such as choosing an area of residence, identifying locations suitable for opening various businesses, choosing a field of study, etc.
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| The contacts with the Bank of Israel |
| Revision Policy |
| The CBS Vision |
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