The Government of India has announced that the next Census will be conducted in 2027. The intent to conduct the exercise was notified in the Gazette on June 16, 2025.
According to details shared in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, the Census will be carried out in two phases. Phase I — House Listing and Housing Census — will take place between April and September 2026 over a period of 30 days, based on the convenience of State and Union Territory administrations. Phase II — Population Enumeration — will be conducted in February 2027 with reference date March 1, 2027.
For Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the Population Enumeration will be conducted earlier, in September 2026, with reference date October 1, 2026.
A notable feature of Census 2027 will be the inclusion of caste enumeration, as approved by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on April 30, 2025. It will be the first time in more than seven decades that caste data will be recorded as part of the national census.
The upcoming Census will also be India’s first digital census. Data will be collected using mobile applications, while paper schedules will be available in locations with connectivity limitations. A pre-test of the digital platforms, survey methods and logistics was conducted from November 10 to 30, 2025.
The announcement brings administrative clarity following the postponement of the 2021 Census due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
-ANI