The economic census provides a detailed portrait of the United States' economy once every five years, from the national to the local level. Results from the 2007 Economic Census are being issued on American FactFinder [1], starting in early 2009 and continuing through late 2011.

The 2007 Economic Census covers most of the U.S. economy in its basic collection of establishment statistics. There also are several related programs, including statistics on minority- and women-owned businesses. Censuses of agriculture and governments are conducted at the same time.