The Union Ministry of Home Affairs announced that India will conduct its next population census in two phases, with counting to be completed by March 1, 2027—the first such exercise since 2011.

• After 2011, Census was due in 2020-2021, but was delayed due to Covid pandemic.

Population Census-2027: Key Details

• Notification: Conduct of Population Census-2027 will be published in the official gazette, as per Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948. 
• The Census will be conducted in two phases:
  • Phase I – House listing: Details of all buildings, permanent or temporary, are noted with their type, amenities, and assets. 
  • Phase II – Population enumeration: Detailed information on each individual residing in the country, Indian national or otherwise noted along with their caste.
• Reference Dates (specific point of time for which the data on population is collected) for Census-2027
  • For the Union Territory of Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand: October 1, 2026.
  • Rest of India: March 1, 2027.
• Census will include caste enumeration, marking the first official collection of caste data since the 1931 exercise.
• Digital census: This will be the country’s first digital census.