India has launched the first phase of Census 2027, marking the start of what is set to be the world’s largest population exercise, and the first to be conducted digitally with an option for self-enumeration.
The exercise, the country’s 16th Census and eighth since Independence, begins on April 1 with the House Listing and Housing Census phase, which will run across states and Union Territories in staggered schedules.
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For the first time, enumerators will collect and submit data through a mobile application using smartphones, replacing the traditional paper-based system. Alongside this, residents can also submit their details online through a self-enumeration portal available in 16 languages, including Hindi and English.
Officials said respondents can log in using their mobile number, fill in household details, and receive a unique Self-Enumeration ID to be shared during the enumerator’s visit.
WHAT PHASE I WILL COVER
The first phase will focus on housing conditions, household amenities and assets. Enumerators will gather information on construction materials, number of residents, ownership status, availability of water, sanitation, electricity, cooking fuel, and access to assets such as vehicles, mobile phones and internet services.
The government has already notified the set of questions for this phase in January 2026.
STATE-WISE ROLLOUT
States including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha and Sikkim will carry out houselisting from April 16 to May 15, with self-enumeration from April 1 to April 15.
Another group including Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and Haryana will begin houselisting from May 1 to May 30, preceded by a self-enumeration window from April 16 to April 30.
PHASE II AND KEY DATES
The second phase, Population Enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027, while snow-bound regions such as Ladakh and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh will follow an earlier schedule from September 2026.
The reference date for the Census is set at 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027, with October 1, 2026 as the reference date for the snow-bound areas. Enumeration of castes will also be carried out during the second phase.
SCALE AND COST
More than 3 million enumerators, supervisors and officials will be involved in the exercise across the country. The Union government has approved an outlay of 11,718.24 crore for Census 2027, covering technology, logistics and training.
Officials said extensive arrangements have been made for training, with thousands of trainers deployed to prepare field staff, and systems put in place to ensure data security.
With digital tools, real-time monitoring and self-enumeration now part of the process, Census 2027 marks a significant shift in how India counts its population — even as the scale and complexity of the exercise remain unmatched.
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Published By:
Sonali Verma
Published On:
Apr 1, 2026 09:20 IST
