Archive · 26 Dec 2025
India Plans Digital Census 2027
India is preparing for its next big census, called Census 2027.
The first part, which is about counting houses and their details, will start in April 2026.
The second part, which is about counting people, will happen in February 2027.
The government has already tested how this will work and is now planning the big event.
They will use special apps on phones to collect information and a website to keep track of everything.
This census will be the first time India does it all digitally.
It's a huge job that will involve many people, and it will help the government make better decisions for the country.
Census 2027 Phase I pre-test completed, with plans for April 2026 rollout.
Phase I (Houselisting and Housing Census) from April to September 2026, Phase II (Population Enumeration) in February 2027.
Approved cost of Rs 11,718.24 crore, with caste enumeration included.
30 lakh field functionaries and 18,600 technical manpower to be engaged.
Use of mobile apps for data collection and a central portal for monitoring.
- Who
- Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, government officials, field functionaries
- What
- Pre-test for Census 2027 Phase I completed, planning for April 2026 rollout
- When
- Pre-test concluded earlier this month, Phase I from April to September 2026, Phase II in February 2027
- Where
- India, with specific mention of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand
- Why
- To conduct the largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world, providing micro-level data for policy making
- Phase I
- Houselisting and Housing Census (April-September 2026)
- Phase II
- Population Enumeration (February 2027)
- Cost
- Rs 11,718.24 crore
- Field Functionaries
- 30 lakh
- Technical Manpower
- 18,600
- Man-Days of Employment
- 1.02 crore
- Census Act
- 1948
- Census Rules
- 1990