André Loranger appointed as the UK’s next National Statistician 

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Today, His Majesty the King, on the advice of the Prime Minister, has appointed André Loranger to be the UK’s next National Statistician, to serve for a term of five years. He will take up his role later this autumn.

André is a world-renowned leader and expert in official statistics, presently serving as Chief Statistician of Canada. In his 29 years at Statistics Canada, he has represented at the most senior international fora for statistics and currently chairs the United Nations Conference of European Statisticians. He has overseen the largest and most complex statistical programmes covering all aspects of the Canadian economy. His previous senior leadership positions include serving as Assistant Chief Statistician for Economic Statistics, where he had responsibility for key economic indicators such as gross domestic product, Assistant Chief Statistician for Strategic Data Management, Methods and Analysis, and Chief Data Officer with responsibility for ensuring stewardship of all information remained modern, evergreen and relevant.

In his role as National Statistician, André will be the principal adviser on statistics to the UK Statistics Authority Board, the Government and ministers. He will also serve as Head of the Government Statistical Service, the network of all professional statisticians working across the UK government. His appointment provides fresh leadership to drive forward priorities across the UK statistical system. He will also support the Office for National Statistics as it continues to implement its recovery plans, including improvements to economic statistics and preparation for the next Census in 2031.

Interim Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, Penny Young said:

“André 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. I am delighted that he has been appointed as the UK’s next National Statistician.

“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. At the Authority Board and for the ONS’s ongoing recovery, his advice on statistical quality and methodology will further drive improvement, as we continue to improve our economic statistics and prepare for Census 2031.

“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.”

The Cabinet Secretary, Dame Antonia Romeo, said:

“I am delighted to welcome André Loranger as our new National Statistician. André brings a wealth of experience to lead the statistics system and support the ONS to provide the trusted statistics that are essential for good policy and decision making in government.

“I look forward to working closely with André as we ensure the UK’s statistics continue to support the outcomes that matter most to the public.”

André Loranger, National Statistician appointee and departing Chief Statistician of Canada, said:

“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. I look forward to working with my new colleagues in the UK statistical system as we build on that important work together.”

André’s knowledge and guidance will inform the strategic direction for the statistical system set by the Authority Board. As an Executive member of the Board, he will work closely with the ONS Permanent Secretary, Darren Tierney, and the Director General of the Office for Statistics Regulation, Ed Humpherson.

The Authority Board’s other priorities for the National Statistician include to strengthen user engagement, ensuring statistics transparently meet public and policy needs; to lead collective action across the Government Statistical Service, including the four nations, to improve capability, coordination, coherence, comparability and collaboration; and to promote innovation through responsible use of administrative data, machine learning, AI and data linkage.

In line with the recommendations from the independent review on the performance and culture of the ONS by Sir Robert Devereux, the question of continued separation of the roles of National Statistician and Permanent Secretary will be considered over the coming months. This will consider the views of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) and other stakeholders.

The UK Statistics Authority Board has been led by the interim Chair, Penny Young, since the departure of Sir Robert Chote in September 2025. Recruitment for a permanent Chair will restart shortly, as well as recruitment of other Non-Executive Director members of the Board.

Notes:

  • The National Statistician, a Crown appointment, is: 
    • the principal adviser to the UK Statistics Authority and Government on the quality, good practice and the comprehensiveness of official statistics
    • Head of the Government Statistical Service (GSS)
    • an Executive member of the UK Statistics Authority Board 
  • The Authority Board’s priorities for the National Statistician include to:
    • Advise the Board on key statistical decisions; working closely with the Permanent Secretary of the ONS to provide support and challenge as its recovery continues and building a strong relationship with the Regulator, including responding to the challenges set out in the OSR’s annual State of the Statistical System report.
    • Strengthen user and stakeholder engagement across the system, ensuring statistics continue to meet the needs of users, policymakers and the public, and that statistics are developed and prioritised transparently and in line with evolving societal and policy needs.
    • Lead and drive collective action across the Government Statistical Service on the UK Statistics Authority’s strategic priorities and challenges, particularly building capability, improving coordination, comparability and collaboration, and key themes from the 2025 Statistics Assembly, as well as building influence internationally.
    • Champion greater coherence across the four nations, working closely with the Chief Statisticians of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
    • Encourage innovation across the system, including the responsible use of administrative data, machine learning and AI, and developing the value of data through linkage.
  • Darren Tierney is the Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics following his appointment in August 2025.
  • The former National Statistician, Professor Sir Ian Diamond, resigned in May 2025 due to ongoing health issues. 
  • A review of the performance and culture of the ONS by Sir Robert Devereux was published on 26 June 2025.
  • On 7 April 2025, the UK Parliament’s Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) announced an inquiry into the work of the UK Statistics Authority. Having received evidence, the Inquiry is due to report this autumn.
  • On 4 December 2025, Rt Hon Darren Jones, Chief Secretary the Prime Minister, wrote to PACAC to inform them that he had decided to close the recruitment campaign for the next permanent Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, to wait for the inquiry’s report and the appointment of the next permanent National Statistician. 

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