India will conduct its first fully digital population Census in 2027, with the initial phase set to begin on April 1, 2026, Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan announced on Monday.
The exercise, India’s 16th Census and eighth since Independence, will be the world’s largest enumeration drive, involving over 30 lakh enumerators, supervisors and officials across the country.
For the first time, data will be collected digitally using mobile applications, replacing traditional paper-based methods. In a significant new feature, citizens will also be able to self-enumerate through a secure online portal available in 16 languages.
Under this system, households can submit their details online and generate a unique Self-Enumeration ID, which will be verified during an enumerator’s visit. Officials said robust safeguards have been put in place to ensure data security.
The Census will be conducted under the Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules, 1990. The reference date will be March 1, 2027, while snow-bound regions such as Ladakh and parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will have October 1, 2026 as the reference date.
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The exercise will be carried out in two phases. Phase I, the House Listing and Housing Census, will run from April to September 2026 and collect data on housing conditions, amenities and assets. Phase II, the Population Enumeration, will be conducted in February 2027 and will capture demographic, socio-economic and educational details, including caste data.
The first phase will follow a staggered timeline across states, each preceded by a 15-day self-enumeration window.
The government has approved an outlay of Rs 11,718 crore for the exercise, which will cover 36 States and Union Territories, over 7,000 sub-districts, more than 5,000 statutory towns and nearly 6.4 lakh villages.
A dedicated digital ecosystem, including mobile apps, self-enumeration portals and real-time monitoring dashboards, has been developed. A nationwide pre-test conducted in November 2025 validated the system.
Officials said the digital Census is expected to improve accuracy, efficiency and timeliness of data, aiding better policy planning and governance.
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