Revisions to Federal Standards for Collecting and Reporting Data on Race and Ethnicity: What are They and Why do They Matter?

This brief discusses why and how federal standards for collecting race and ethnicity data have been revised, highlights some of the key changes to data collection and reporting starting in 2024, and discusses the implications of these changes. The brief also includes analysis of how self-reported racial and ethnic classifications have changed among the U.S. population over time.