Fed’s Waller says FRED now holds over 850,000 data series, with more AI tools planned

The Federal Reserve’s most-used free database keeps getting bigger. Speaking at FRED Con 2026, Governor Christopher J. Waller said the Federal Reserve Economic Data platform, better known as FRED, now hosts over 850,000 data series. He also said the platform will integrate more AI tools to improve how people find and rely on that data. What Waller laid out at FRED Con Waller delivered the opening remarks at FRED Con, a one-day conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The event is scheduled for October 1, 2026, running from 9 am to 4 pm CT. It is livestreamed on the St. Louis Fed’s YouTube channel. The headline figure was scale. FRED’s library of more than 850,000 series pulls from a range of sources, including the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. The second part of Waller’s message concerned artificial intelligence. Plans call for expanding AI tools on the platform, with the stated goal of improving both data accessibility and reliability. A conference built around trust, AI and storytelling The FRED Con agenda tracks closely with the themes Waller raised. Panels cover generative AI’s role in economic data discove...