Census 2027: India goes fully digital for world's largest survey
What's the story
India's next national census, the 16th overall and the eighth since Independence, will be conducted in 2027. The Union Cabinet has approved the project at a cost of ₹11,718.24 crore. This will be the first time that a census is conducted entirely digitally in India. The exercise is expected to be the largest administrative and statistical operation in the world.
Phase details
Census will be conducted in 2 main phases
The census will be conducted in two main phases. The first phase, or the Houselisting and Housing Census, will take place between April 1 and September 30, 2026. During this period, enumerators will visit every household to collect detailed information about housing conditions and amenities. The second phase of Population Enumeration will be held simultaneously across the country in February 2027.
Innovation
Self-enumeration for the 1st time
For the first time in Indian Census history, citizens will be allowed to self-enumerate. A 15-day window will be provided before the start of the houselisting exercise in each state. During this period, citizens can fill in their details using a Self-Enumeration Portal or mobile application. The entire data collection for Census 2027 will be done digitally through mobile apps on Android and iOS devices.
Technological integration
GIS-based digital maps and real-time monitoring
GIS-based digital maps will be used to create enumeration blocks for all villages and urban local bodies. This will ensure complete geographical coverage. A dedicated Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) portal has been developed to enable real-time monitoring and supervision of census operations across the country. These innovations are part of the government's efforts to modernize the census process with new digital tools like the Houselisting Block Creator web map application.
Data initiative
Census-as-a-Service (CaaS)
The government has also launched Census-as-a-Service (CaaS) to provide ministries and departments with clean, machine-readable, and actionable data. This will enable faster and more effective policy-making. During the houselisting phase, enumerators will collect 33 categories of information related to housing and household amenities. All information will be captured digitally through mobile devices.
Census expansion
Caste enumeration and field functionaries
Census 2027 will also include caste enumeration, which will be carried out electronically during the Population Enumeration phase. About 30 lakh field functionaries will be deployed across the country for this purpose. Enumerators, mostly government teachers appointed by state governments, will perform Census duties in addition to their regular work and will be paid a suitable honorarium.
Support staff
Employment generation and data handling capacity enhancement
To support the digital Census infrastructure, around 18,600 technical personnel will be engaged for nearly 550 days. This is expected to generate approximately 1.02 crore man-days of employment and significantly enhance digital and data-handling capacity at local, district, and state levels. The government plans to release Census data as soon as possible with improved dissemination tools and customized visualization platforms while ensuring strict confidentiality of all collected information under the Census Act of 1948 and Census Rules of 1990.