OMB revises federal race and ethnicity data standards for first time since 1997 adds MENA category

The Office of Management and Budget releases revised Statistical Policy Directive No. 15, the federal standards governing how the US government collects and reports race and ethnicity data, for the first time since 1997. The revisions add a new standalone Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) category, which was previously counted as "white." The changes combine the race and Hispanic origin question into a single query and allow respondents to better identify as multiracial. The changes affect the Census, federal surveys, healthcare data, employment statistics, and all federal forms collecting demographic information. The update represents a major step toward more accurate representation of American demographic diversity.