India’s Census 2027 marks a historic digital population count, the first fully digitized effort since independence, incorporating caste enumeration after nearly a century. Scheduled to begin with a government notification in mid-2025, it aims to complete by March 1, 2027, involving 3.4 million enumerators across two phases for comprehensive data on demographics, housing, and socio-economics. This census will enable evidence-based policymaking, from welfare distribution to delimitation post-2026.
India’s Census 2027 has generated major headlines following the Union Cabinet’s approval of a Rs 11,718 crore budget for the nation’s first fully digital census. Key announcements highlight its two-phase rollout, caste data inclusion, and massive workforce deployment.
Budget and approval
The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, greenlit Rs 11,718 crore on December 11, 2025, to fund mobile-based data collection and a central monitoring portal. Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized real-time tracking and “Census-as-a-Service” for policy-ready data.
Phase details
Phase 1 (House Listing and Housing Census) runs April to September 2026, capturing assets and amenities. Phase 2 (Population Enumeration) occurs in February 2027 nationwide, with September 2026 for snow-bound areas like Ladakh and parts of Himachal Pradesh.
Digital and caste features
This marks India’s first digital census using Android/iOS apps in 16 languages, with self-enumeration, GPS, and 30 lakh field workers. Caste enumeration returns since 1931, covering all communities electronically in Phase 2.
Employment and impact
The exercise will create 1 crore man-days of employment and enable faster data dissemination for welfare, delimitation, and planning.
Timeline and phases
The census will be conducted in two phases: House Listing and Housing Census between April and September 2026 (in a 30‑day window chosen by each state/UT), followed by Population Enumeration in February 2027. In Ladakh and snow‑bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, population enumeration will instead be done in September 2026 with a reference date of 1 October 2026.
The process unfolds in two main stages:
The Housing Listing Operation (HLO) gathers household details like assets, amenities, internet access, and vehicle ownership across 34 fields. Population Enumeration (PE) follows 6-8 months later, capturing individual data on 28 indicators including age, education, migration, and technology use, with early starts in snow-bound regions from October 2026. Provisional results are expected within 10 days of enumeration, with full data in six months.
Self-enumeration via a mobile app or portal in 16 languages allows households to pre-fill details, generating unique IDs for enumerator verification, alongside GPS tagging and real-time error alerts. Expanded migration categories cover climate displacement, while explicit transgender options promote inclusivity. These digital shifts replace paper maps, ensuring faster, gap-free coverage.
Caste enumeration return
For the first time since 1931, caste data for all communities not just SC/ST will be collected, addressing social justice needs amid women’s reservation laws and OBC policies. This fulfills constitutional mandates and corrects data gaps on identity and vulnerabilities. Results will recalibrate federal resource allocation and affirmative action.
Policy impacts
Beyond counting 1.4 billion people, Census 2027 informs Direct Benefit Transfers, urban planning, and disaster response through metrics like smartphone penetration and cereal consumption. It reflects evolving family structures, occupations, and disabilities, aiding targeted interventions. Robust quality checks, including audits, ensure reliability for India’s future planning.
Caste enumeration will return in Census 2027 for all communities, marking the first comprehensive count since 1931. The decision covers all castes and communities not limited to SC/ST captured electronically during the Population Enumeration phase in February 2027. This fulfills long-standing demands for updated socio-economic data to support affirmative action, women’s reservation, and OBC policies. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs approved inclusion in April 2025, with the Union Cabinet’s December 11, 2025, scheme confirmation integrating it into the digital questionnaire alongside demographics and housing data.