Our funding

Our funding

Like any other organisation, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) needs money to operate. It needs to pay for the costs of salaries, lighting, heating, suppliers and equipment.

Most of the funding for ONS is allocated, like the majority of other government departments, through the Spending Review process. This is administered on behalf of the Government by the Treasury. The last Spending Review, which was completed in 2007, required departments to undertake a comprehensive review of their work and, within the value for money expectations set by ministers, justify their funding requirements for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11.

In recognition of ONS's change of status following independence from 1 April 2008, its funding settlement covered the period until 2011-12. For the five year period 2007-08 to 2011-12, funding is £1.2 billion. The Office for National Statistics receives a small amount of additional income, mainly from other government departments.