Anil Arora is a Canadian former civil servant who served as the 12th Chief Statistician of Canada from September 19, 2016 to March 31, 2024.

Arora began his career with Statistics Canada in Edmonton in 1988,[2] where he looked after the mainframe computer and supervised data entry and clerical operations.

He also contributed to modernizing dissemination at the agency, including the provision of publications on the web and microdata in Canadian universities, and statistical products to support literacy in schools.

[2] In 2005, Arora and his team were recognized by the GTEC Distinction Awards for their joint pilot project with Public Works and Government Services Canada to create Session Encryption with Automated Login (SEAL) technology, which allowed for the census questionnaire to be completed online.

In 2008, he became the Assistant Chief Statistician of the Social, Health and Labour Statistics division,[2] where he focused on redesigning the household surveys program.

Arora led the implementation of the Disaggregated Data Action Plan, an approach aiming to produce more detailed statistical information for specific population groups, including women, LGBTQ2+, Indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities.

[3] In addition, a partnership with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce was established to develop the Business Data Lab under Arora's term.

In 2023, he delivered the Canada School of Public Service's Manion Lecture at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.