Statistics bureau wants more funds

Australia's statistics collector will be seeking a budget boost as it takes on more work and seeks to upgrade specialist computer systems.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has faced a tough year.

It copped a 10 per cent budget cut and, for the first time in a century, had to deal with a case of statistics being leaked.

The scandal involved one of its staff members who pleaded guilty to leaking sensitive figures to a friend who made $7 million from illegal foreign exchange trades.

ABS acting boss Jonathan Palmer said, in its annual report, the agency had been forced to cut services which were valued by users.

Mr Palmer was concerned about the "age, fragility and inflexibility" of the ABS' systems which needed upgrading.

"I am confident we will put a strong case for further investment to government in the next financial year," he wrote.

The report showed the ABS had undertaken a review of its anti-corruption controls which found there was a "coherent scheme" in place broadly in line with other government agencies.

But the agency has adopted recommendations to strengthen these controls.

The ABS' role is to provide high quality, objective statistics in areas such as population, society, the economy and the environment.