Federal Statistics Act (FStatA) (FStatA)
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Art. 1 Aim
This Act has the aim: a. of providing the Confederation with the statistical principles that it requires to fulfil its duties; b. of making public statistical results available to the cantons, the communes, the economy, the private sector, representatives from civil society and the general public; c. of gearing the organisation of federal statistical bodies towards gathering and processing data efficiently and in a manner considerate to interviewees; d. of promoting national and international cooperation in the area of statistics; e. of ensuring data protection within federal statistical bodies.
Art. 2 Scope of application
1 This Act applies to all statistical activities: a. instructed by the Federal Council; b. conducted or commissioned by the Federal Administration’s administrative units, not including the Federal Institutes of Technology. 2 The Federal Council shall determine which articles of the Act are applicable to the statistical activities of the Federal Institutes of Technology, Swiss Post, and the telecommunications enterprises of the Confederation. 3 It may declare the provisions of this Act to be applicable for other public corporations, institutions or private individuals, if these entities: a. are under the supervision of the Confederation; b. receive financial aid or payments from the Confederation; or c. are engaged in an activity requiring a licence or authorisation from the Confederation. 4 When making an entity subject to this Act in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3, the Federal Council shall take account of the freedom of research as well as the statutory duties and the autonomy of
Para. 1 let. b — Amended by Annex No 4 of the FA of 20 March 1998 on the Swiss Federal Railways, in force since 1 Jan. 1999 (AS 1998 2847; BBl 1997 I 909). Para. 2 — Amended by No II 6 of the FA on Railways Reform 2 of 20 March 2009, in force since 1 Jan. 2010 (AS 2009 5597; BBl 2005 2415, 2007 2681).
Art. 3 Duties of the federal statistical bodies
1 Federal statistical bodies prepare representative results in a professionally independent way on the status of and changes in the population, the economy, society, education, research, spatial planning and the environment in Switzerland. 2 They assist in: a. the preparation, conduct and review of federal tasks; b. the assessment of specialist fields in which the duties of the federal government and cantons are closely interlinked, such as education, science and research, culture, sport, legal matters, tourism, public finances, land management, construction and residential accommodation, transport, energy, healthcare and welfare; c. supporting research projects of national importance; d. the assessment of the fulfilment of the constitutional mandate to establish equal opportunities for men and women and for disabled and non-disabled people; e. the evaluation of the employability and activities of university graduates. 3 To perform these duties, the Confederation shall work with the ca
Para. 1 — Amended by Annex No II 5 of the Higher Education Act of 30 Sept 2011, in force since 1 Jan. 2015 (AS 2014 4103; BBl 2009 4561). Para. 2 let. d — Amended by Annex No 1 of the FA of 13 Dec. 2002 on the Elimination of Discrimination against People with Disabilities, in force since 1 Jan. 2004 (AS 2003 4487; BBl 2001 1715). Para. 2 let. e — Inserted by Annex No II 5 of the Higher Education Act of 30 Sept 2011, in force since 1 Jan. 2015 (AS 2014 4103; BBl 2009 4561).
Art. 4 Principles of data collection
1 Insofar as the Confederation has the necessary data available or that such data becomes available to an organisation subject to this Act in the implementation of federal law (federal administrative data), separate surveys need not be conducted by federal statistical bodies (direct surveys, indirect surveys or surveys based on observations and measurements). 1bis The Confederation and the organisations in accordance with paragraph 1 shall allow the Federal Statistical Office to have online access to the data it requires for its statistical work, unless other federal legislation provides otherwise. The Federal Council shall for each specialist field regulate the extent of access and the organisations subject to this obligation. 2 In the event that the data required by federal statistical bodies on third parties are available from cantonal or communal agencies or from other entities of the public law, such data must be collected from said agencies or entities (indirect survey). 3 Direct
Para. 1bis — Inserted by Annex No 2 of the FA of 17 March 2023 on the Use of Electronic Means to Carry Out Official Tasks Mittel, in force since 1 Jan. 2024 (AS 2023 682; BBl 2022 804). Para. 5 — Inserted by Art. 17 No 2 of the Census Act of 22 June 2007, in force since 1 Jan. 2008 (AS 2007 6743; BBl 2007 53).