As an agency directly under the State Council, the National Bureau of Statistics is in charge of statistics and economic accounting in China. In Accordance with the Statistics Law of the People's Republic of China and relevant stipulations of the State Council, Major Functions of the National Bureau of Statistics include:

1. To work out laws and regulations on statistical work, to formulate directive rules for statistical operation, to draw up plans for statistical modernization and nationwide statistical surveys, to organize, exercise leadership and supervision over statistical and economic accounting work in various localities and departments, and to supervise and inspect the enforcement of statistical laws and regulations:

2. To set up and improve the national economic accounting system and statistical country; to work out national statistical standards; to review and approve statistical standards by other government departments; to organize the administration of national statistical survey projects, to examine, approve and manage plans and schemes for statistical surveys by other departments;

3. To organize the implementation of major censuses on the basic items relating to the state and strength of the country; to exercise unified administration over socio-economic surveys in various localities and departments, to collect, process and tabulate basic statistical information from a statistical perspective on the national economic and scientific progress and social development; to provide statistical information and relevant proposals for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council and government departments concerned;

4. To act as the exclusive agency in verifying, approving, administering and publishing basic national statistical data and to regularly disseminate to the general public statistical information with regard to the national economic and social development;

5. To build up an administer the national statistical information system and the national statistical database system; to formulate basic standards and operational rules for statistical database networks in various localities and departments;

6. To exercise leadership over directly-affiliated surveying agencies in various localities; to exercise unified management over operating expenses of statistical activities for statistical agencies in local people’s governments at and above county level; to assist in the management of directors and deputy directors of local statistical offices of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government; to organize and administer qualification examinations and the evaluation of professional titles for statisticians across the country.