Top statistician David Kalisch has announced he is leaving the ABS.

The man who led the Australian Bureau of Statistics through “censusfail” and the same-sex marriage postal vote will leave the bureau when his five-year term ends in December, after a near 38-year career in the Australian Public Service.

“What I'm very proud of is the people who work here at the ABS, their professionalism, innovation and commitment and the value they deliver to the community each and every day,” Mr Kalisch said.

“The ABS is at the forefront, enabling safe and effective use of data to answer our nation's key questions and contributing to informed governments, business and households.

“The ABS is actively delivering the priority information we need, enabling informed policy choices, service delivery, a functioning economy, society and democracy.”

Treasury has already begun recruiting a new Australian Statistician to lead the 2500-strong organisation, in a recruitment process to be chaired by the incoming secretary to the Treasury.