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 National 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.

Independence - The CBS is an apolitical, independent, and professional body, which takes responsibility for the results of its professional activities.

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.

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.

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; nor do they serve the purposes of any specific researcher.

The Central Bureau of Statistics collects data from primary and secondary sources of information.

Primary sources include data collected directly by the Bureau solely for official statistical purposes. These data are generally collected through sample surveys and censuses.

Secondary sources include data originally collected by a public or private organization for administrative or commercial purposes, rather than for the production of official statistics, and later used secondarily for the production of official statistics.

Secondary data include administrative data collected by government organizations and data collected by private organizations. In recent years, a new type of secondary data source has been added, including data generated through digital platforms, smart devices, and online activity (Big Data), such as mobile phone data and data from social networks and the internet in general.

CBS data are available to a variety of target groups and for various possible uses, such as:

The government sector and local authorities - the data serve as a basis for setting policies and decision-making in various fields, such as education, health, welfare, housing, development, and more. This includes preparing national and local building plans, planning welfare services, schools, kindergartens, homes for the elderly, planning road systems, improving public transportation, and developing entertainment centers and malls.

International organizations - the UN, the International Monetary Fund, UNESCO, the World Health Organization, OECD, and others.

Research bodies - the data serve as an essential source for research on various subjects, such as changes in population composition and distribution, analysis and assessment of social and economic trends in the population, and population forecasts.

Private and public companies - the data serve as a basis for market research, assessment of demand for products and services, and information on the labour force.

Journalists and the media - the data serve as an important source for articles and inquiries.

Students and pupils - the information serves as a database 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, and choosing a field of study. ​