Reg Stats
This page provides accessible charts and supporting data to highlight patterns and trends in federal rulemaking activities across presidential administrations, among agencies, and over time. The policy team at the Regulatory Studies Center updates these charts on a regular basis as new data become available.
The data and charts on this page have been featured in a number of publications. Please include an appropriate citation if you would like to use these files in your publication or presentation.
Suggested Citation:
The George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center, "CHART OR DATASET TITLE" retrieved "ACCESS DATE", go.gwu.edu/regstudies.
The source code for data and charts is available on GitHub. If you would like to see us include other data or have questions about the information presented here, please email [email protected].
- Table of Contents
Economically Significant Final Rules Published by Presidential Year
Monthly Economically Significant Final Rules under the Biden Administration
Cumulative Economically Significant Final Rules by Administration
Cumulative Economically Significant Final Rules Published by Administration in First Year
Significant Final Rules Published by Presidential Year
Major Final Rules Published by Presidential Year
Rules Published in the Federal Register by Presidential Year
Total Pages Published in the Code of Federal Regulations
Total Pages Published in the Federal Register
Active Actions Published in the Unified Agenda
Regulators' Budget: Budget Outlays by Fiscal Year
Regulators' Budget: Personnel by Fiscal Year
Economically Significant Final Rules Published by Presidential Year
This graph presents the number of economically or section 3(f)(1) significant final rules published each presidential year (February 1 – January 31). Economically significant rules are regulations issued by executive branch agencies that meet the original definition in section 3(f)(1) of Executive Order 12866: “have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or tribal governments or communities.” Executive Order 14094 of April 6, 2023 amended this definition by increasing the threshold to $200 million, and rules meeting the new definition are commonly referred to as section 3(f)(1) significant rules. Starting April 6, 2023, this graph tracks the number of section 3(f)(1) significant rules based on the new definition in Executive Order 14094.
See the breakdown of economically or section 3(f)(1) significant final rules published by presidential year for specific agencies on this page:
Monthly Economically Significant Final Rules under the Biden Administration
This graph tracks the number of economically or section 3(f)(1) significant final rules published each month during the Biden administration. The data prior to April 6, 2023 used in this graph reflect the number of economically significant rules as defined in the original section 3(f)(1) of Executive Order 12866, and the data on and after April 6, 2023 track section 3(f)(1) significant rules as defined in Executive Order 14094. The data and graph are updated during the first week of each month.
Cumulative Economically Significant Final Rules by Administration
Over Entire Administration
This graph tracks the cumulative number of economically or section 3(f)(1) significant final rules published by executive branch agencies under different administrations, during equivalent months in office. The data prior to April 6, 2023 used in this graph reflect the number of economically significant rules as defined in the original section 3(f)(1) of Executive Order 12866, and the data on and after April 6, 2023 track section 3(f)(1) significant rules as defined in Executive Order 14094.
First Year of Administration
This graph tracks the cumulative number of economically or section 3(f)(1) significant final rules published by executive branch agencies during the first year of different administrations. The data prior to April 6, 2023 used in this graph reflect the number of economically significant rules as defined in the original section 3(f)(1) of Executive Order 12866, and the data on and after April 6, 2023 track section 3(f)(1) significant rules as defined in Executive Order 14094.
Significant Final Rules Published by Presidential Year
This graph presents the number of significant final rules published each presidential year (February 1 – January 31). Significant rules are defined in Section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866 (September 30, 1993), as amended by Executive Order 14094 (April 6, 2023). Significant rules include economically or section 3(f)(1) significant rules.
Major Final Rules Published by Presidential Year
The Government Accountability Office reports on “major” rules published. The Congressional Review Act, passed in 1996, defines a major rule as “one that has resulted in or is likely to result in (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, federal, state, or local government agencies, or geographic regions; or (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, or innovation, or on the ability of the United States-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises in domestic and export markets.”
Rules Published in the Federal Register by Presidential Year
Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, the Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. This chart shows the number of final rules and proposed rules published in the Federal Register by presidential year, beginning in 1995.
Total Pages Published in the Code of Federal Regulations and the Federal Register
Total Pages Published in the Code of Federal Regulations
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules promulgated by the departments and agencies of the federal government. The number of total pages published in the CFR annually provides a sense of the volume of existing regulations with which American businesses, workers, consumers, and other regulated entities must comply.
Total Pages Published in the Federal Register
The number of pages in the Federal Register—the daily journal of the federal government in which all newly proposed rules are published along with final rules, executive orders, and other agency notices—provides a sense of the flow of new or changed regulations issued during a given period. These regulations might increase or decrease regulatory burdens, making this an imperfect—but frequently cited—measure of regulatory burden.
Active Actions Published in the Unified Agenda
This graph tracks active actions published in the semiannual Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions beginning with fall 1995. Active actions include pre-rules, proposed rules, and final rules.
Regulators' Budget Report
Agency Budget Outlays by Fiscal Year
A chart on regulatory agency budget outlays by fiscal year from our annual Regulators' Budget report, co-published with the Weidenbaum Center at Washington University in St. Louis.
Full-Time Equivalent Personnel by Fiscal Year
A chart on regulatory agency personnel by fiscal year from our annual Regulators' Budget report, co-published with the Weidenbaum Center at Washington University in St. Louis.