The ABS Portfolio Budget Statement outlines a single outcome for the agency:

The ABS’s program contributes to the outcome through delivery of high-quality statistical information to inform Australia’s most important issues and through engaging with users within government, business and the community to ensure they have the confidence in the statistical resources available to enable them to make informed decisions.

Economic statistics are produced predominantly from data collected through the ABS business survey program as well as administrative data sources. They include an extensive range of statistical outputs relating to the structure and performance of the Australian economy.

Population and social statistics are produced from data collected through the ABS household survey program as well as administrative data. They include statistical information relating to the Australian population, including Census and demographic statistics, as well as information relating to the social and economic wellbeing of the population.

The ABS’s program deliverables for 2017–18 and onwards (as outlined in its Portfolio Budget Statement) are to:

1. provide a range of statistical outputs, across key economic, population, social and environment subject matter areas that meet the needs of key users in Government, business and community
2. maintain relevant and fit-for-purpose ABS statistical outputs by actively engaging with external stakeholders to understand their needs
3. maximise the value of public data through increasing safe access to ABS microdata holdings and unlocking the potential of data sources by integrating data to create new datasets for statistical, policy and research purposes
4. continue to transform ABS business systems and processes to improve their efficiency and the accessibility of information, and expand the range of statistical solutions available to users
5. deliver results of the 2016 Census of Population and Housing and apply the lessons learned from 2016 to planning for the 2021 Census.