India launches census April 1 to count over 1.4 billion
India is finally launching its long-awaited census on April 1, 2026, aiming to count more than 1.4 billion people.
Delayed since 2021 by the pandemic, this $1.24 billion project will help fill big data gaps and guide decisions on housing and resources.
With over three million officials involved, it's a huge effort to tackle issues like pollution and growing slums, something that hasn't been done at this scale since 2011.
Census surveys housing then demographic details
The census rolls out in two phases: first up is a survey on housing and basic amenities (using both in-person visits and a multilingual app) running through September; then comes the deep dive into demographic details, including caste info last fully recorded in 1931.
Weather plays a role too: places like Jammu and Kashmir will start early to beat the snow, with an October deadline there.
All told, it's a major push to map India's diversity so future planning actually fits real needs.