Statistics Netherlands, founded in 1899, is a Dutch governmental institution that gathers statistical information about the Netherlands. In Dutch it is known as the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (Central Agency for Statistics), often abbreviated to CBS. It is located in The Hague and Heerlen. Since 3 January 2004, Statistics Netherlands has been an independent public body, or quango. Its independent legal status enables the reliable collection and dissemination of information to support public debate, policy development and decision-making.
CBS collects statistical information on themes such as:
- Count of the population
- Consumer prices
- Economic growth
- Personal and household incomes
- Unemployment
- Religion
The programme of CBS needs to be ratified by the Central Commission for Statistics, which was replaced by an Advisory Board in 2016. This independent board must ensure the impartiality, independence, quality, relevance, and continuity of CBS, according to the relevant legislation (Law on the CBS (Wet op het Centraal bureau en de Centrale commissie voor de statistiek) 1996 and 2003).