Canada's Chief Statistician Becomes the UK's

André Loranger has been appointed as the UK's new National Statistician, leading the country's statistical system and providing advice to the government on statistical matters. He has served as Chief Statistician of Canada for the past two years.

Loranger (pictured) has worked for the government of Canada since 1997, beginning his time there as an Economist. Since then he has worked as Assistant Chief Statistician for Economic Statistics - responsible for key economic indicators such as the gross domestic product; Assistant Chief Statistician for Strategic Data Management, Methods and Analysis; and Chief Data Officer.

His new, UK role has been vacant since interim appointee Emma Rourke stepped down from it in December 2025 - she had covered since the departure of previous long-term incumbent Sir Ian Diamond, in May last year.

The UK government says the appointment follows an extensive recruitment process, overseen by the independent First Civil Service Commissioner and the UK Statistics Authority. Penny Young, Interim Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, says Loranger is 'a world-renowned expert and a passionate advocate of trustworthy, independent official statistics - statistics that help people, businesses and governments make better-informed decisions every day.' She comments: 'His deep experience in Canada and on the international stage will accelerate our work to unlock greater value across the UK statistical system for users, by increasing engagement and supporting a culture of openness and innovation... Colleagues at the UK Statistics Authority have worked with André for years and know him to be an energetic, inspiring and ambitious leader. We have every confidence he will work brilliantly across our community of government statisticians and analysts, and further strengthen UK official statistics that serve the public good.'

Loranger himself states: 'I am honoured to have the opportunity to serve as National Statistician of the United Kingdom. Throughout my career, I have championed the importance of trusted, independent official statistics and the vital role they play in informing decision-making and serving the public.'

Loranger will serve as Head of the Government Statistical Service, the network of all professional statisticians working across the UK government. The role is a Permanent Secretary level appointment, offered on a fixed term basis for five years.

Web site: www.ons.gov.uk .