Every year, Forrester releases its Customer Experience Index (CX Index™) rankings. And every year, the US federal government ranks lowest of the 12 verticals we study. But not this year! This year, the US federal average was higher than the utility average, as you can read in our recently published report, The US Federal Customer Experience Index Rankings, 2025.

Unfortunately, this uptick in ranking came from the utility average declining — not from the US federal average rising. The US federal CX Index average has not statistically changed since 2022. Stagnation isn’t usually reason to celebrate — but in this case, it’s relatively good news, since US federal CX is avoiding the multiyear declines we see in other sectors. Overall, US consumer perception of CX quality has dropped to an unprecedented level and is now at the lowest point since the inception of the CX Index.

Forrester’s CX Index Results For US Federal Government Agencies, 2025

This year brought some notable shifts in US federal agencies’ CX performance. Four agencies had statistically significant improvements — and none declined. The National Park Service, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Student Aid, and Internal Revenue Service all improved statistically from 2024. In contrast, 40% of brands in our overall US study declined this year.

 

Digital Interactions Have Room For Improvement

Part of our CX Index methodology is studying the channels that customers use to engage with government agencies. For another year, digital experiences (e.g., mobile app, automated phone system) lag both physical (e.g., in person, live phone call) and hybrid ones (experiences that include at least one digital and one physical channel). The lesson, however, is not to simply spend more on digital. Instead, invest in more customer research and user testing to understand customer expectations and goals on digital channels, then make targeted changes that will actually improve the digital experience.

Want To Learn More? Read The Full Report.

For a detailed analysis of each agency’s ranking and for insights into key drivers of the CX Index score, read the full report, The US Federal Customer Experience Index Rankings, 2025, or schedule a call with us.