The initial nomenclature of the Directorate of Economics & Statistics was ‘State Statistical Bureau (SSB)’. It was set up in Manipur in the month of July, 1958 with a skeleton staff of 18 members under the initiation of Mr. Thangkhopao Kipgen, the then Planning Secretary to the Government of Manipur. From a small beginning during the 2nd Five Year Plan, the State Statistical Bureau (SSB) had been expanded gradually. The SSB, Manipur started participation in the survey programmes of National Sample Survey (NSS) from the 5th sub-round of the 17th round (1962-63) of NSS. With the increase in work load and responsibility both in terms of scope and coverage with the participation in the NSS Programme, the expansion of the SSB started from 1963-64 (18th round of NSS). During 1963-64 there were 10 sub-divisions in Manipur of which 3 sub-divisions such as Mao, Tamenglong and Ukhrul were not covered by the All India Programme of National Sample Survey due to disturbed conditions in those days. From 1970-71 onwards, the whole of Manipur was covered by the NSS Programme.
The then Lt. Governor of Manipur wrote a letter to the then Director, Central Statistics Office (earlier known as Central Statistical Organisation), Department of Statistics, Cabinet Secretariat, New Delhi on the 5th June, 1970 to depute one of the Sr. Technical Officer to Imphal to study the workings of the SSB, Manipur with a view to put forward suggestions for improvements to make the working of the Bureau more efficient and purposeful. A team of technical officers visited Imphal from the 24th to 29th August, 1970 under the leadership of Shri K.L. Saxena, Joint Director, CSO. The Team of Technical Officers from CSO submitted its report on the 5th September,1970 and recommended among other things, the desirability of creating the post of Director of Economics & Statistics. Accordingly, one post of Director of Economics & Statistics was created during 1971-72 and the then SSB became a Directorate. The total strength of the Directorate as on the 31st March, 1972 was 162 which rose to 408 in 1987-88, but in 2001 the Government took a decision to abolish 99 posts as and when the specified posts are rendered vacant due to promotion/retirement/expiry under the down/right sizing policy of the Government. Altogether 69 posts were abolished and the total staff strength as on 31-03-2014 stood at 339 of which 115 posts were lying vacant and therefore effective strength of manpower in respect of the Directorate was 224 only.
District Statistical Offices had been opened from 1972-73 in all the erstwhile 5(five) districts of Manipur viz., Manipur Central District, Manipur North District, Manipur West District, Manipur South District and Manipur East District . The District Statistical Offices are engaged mostly in mobilizing the Statistical Data required by the Government. After reorganizations of the erstwhile Manipur Central District on the 25th May, 1983, 2(two) more District Statistical Offices were opened in Bishnupur and Thoubal Districts during the year 1983-84. From the year 1998-99, Manipur has been divided into 9 (nine) Districts. Each district has a District Statistical Office headed by a District Statistical Officer (DSO) except District Statistical Office, Imphal East where the office is headed by an Assistant Director. The DSOs are transferable with Deputy Directors of the State Head Quarters Office of the Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Manipur.
A small printing (Press) unit started functioning in the Directorate since 1975 in order to minimize the time-lag in bringing out Statistical publications. Statistical Publications/Forms/Schedules for crop estimation survey/ad-hoc surveys were printed in the Printing Unit of the Directorate. The equipments installed in 1975 for printing of Statistical reports/forms/schedules etc. were of LETTER PRINTING which were all outdated. On the other hand, the post created for manning the said printing unit were earmarked for abolition as and when the post are rendered vacant. Presently, the staff are associated with binding of publications and printing using the Xerox or Risograph machine. In order to carry out the printing works of the Directorate, the system of DTP is introduced. The volume of printing work is quite voluminous and therefore an offset printing machine with a plate-making machine was installed in 2006-07. The Directorate has got a separate unit for graphic activities. A small electronic data processing unit named as Electronic Data Processing (EDP) Unit is also functioning since June, 1987.