India's 2027 census: Costs, tech upgrades, and big job boosts
India's next Census in 2027 just got a budget bump—costing ₹82 per person, way up from ₹18 in 2011 and ₹64 planned for 2021.
The government has greenlit a total spend of ₹11,718 crore, reflecting rising costs and inflation.
What's the timeline?
The Census will roll out in two phases: first comes houselisting (April-September 2026), then population counting in February 2027 (with March 1, 2027 as the reference date for most of India).
For snowy regions like Ladakh and Uttarakhand, the reference date is October 1, 2026, with enumeration conducted in September 2026.
Going digital—and bringing back caste data
This time, field workers will use mobile apps (Android/iOS) to collect info in 16 languages—with uploads synced to a central portal.
Plus, for the first time since 1931, caste details will be recorded during the population count.
Massive job opportunities
The Census is set to create jobs for about 30 lakh field staff and about 18,600 technical personnel—adding up to over one crore man-days of work.
There's also a new mapping app to geo-tag buildings as part of the process.