Each year, Forrester publishes its US Customer Experience Index (CX Index™) rankings, benchmarking CX quality across 11 industries plus the US federal government. This ranking is based on an annual survey given to 95,573 respondents.
While the US federal government has historically ranked near the bottom of the industries we study, 2026 delivered a triple whammy:
The average US federal CX Index score dropped a statistically significant 2.5 points on our 100-point scale — from 61.9 in 2025 to 59.4 in 2026. That is the lowest US federal average since 2018.
This is the US government’s first significant year-over-year decline since we began measuring federal CX in 2016.
The US federal government was one of only three verticals that declined in 2026, along with airlines and credit card issuers. In contrast, six private-sector industries improved and the overall private-sector average improved for the first time in four years, widening the gap between the experiences customers have with federal agencies and the private sector.
Forrester’s CX Index Results For US Federal Government Agencies, 2026
In 2026, seven agencies had statistically significant declines and none improved. This marks a sharp reversal from 2025, when four agencies improved and none declined. These findings suggest that sustaining CX improvements is becoming more challenging across the federal government.
The National Park Service (NPS) maintained its position as the highest-scoring US federal agency for the 10th consecutive year, earning a score of 74.0. What’s more, it stood alone as the leader with a 9.7-point lead over the Bureau of Consular Affairs — the largest gap between the top two organizations in any industry we studied this year. In contrast, perennial low performers USAJOBS.gov and HealthCare.gov trailed again with similar scores of 48.9 and 48.4, respectively. The 25.6-point gap between the highest- and lowest-scoring federal organizations is the widest of any vertical we studied.
The Biggest Improvement Opportunities Are The Basics
Understanding which factors most influence CX helps agencies prioritize investments. That’s why our annual study identifies key CX drivers for every vertical. For the US federal government, this year’s most influential drivers highlight the importance of both frontline service and digital capability. The four most important CX drivers across the US federal government are:
Employees at the agency office answer all of my questions
Has high-quality information, products, services, or benefits
Resolves problems/issues quickly
Has a website that meets my needs
Want to Learn More? Read The Full Report.
Federal CX leaders can influence customer perception of all these drivers. And Forrester can help! For more analysis and information about the drivers and emotions that have the strongest effect on CX, read Forrester’s US Federal Government Customer Experience Index Rankings, 2026.
