First phase of world’s largest population exercise kicks off after pandemic delay
April 1, 2026: India’s next national Census has officially begun, marking the launch of the country’s largest population survey and one of the biggest data collection exercises globally. The upcoming count will be India’s 16th Census and the eighth since Independence, following the last enumeration in 2011. Initially scheduled for 2021, the exercise was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now being rolled out in a phased manner across the country.
The first phase, known as the House Listing and Housing Census, will continue until September, during which officials will collect data on housing conditions, amenities, and household assets. The reference date has been set as March 1, 2027, with exceptions for snow-bound regions such as Ladakh and parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, where timelines have been advanced. States and Union Territories will follow staggered schedules, with provisions for self-enumeration windows.
The second phase, focused on population enumeration, is scheduled for 2027 and will capture detailed demographic and socio-economic data. Notably, Census 2027 will be India’s first fully digital Census, allowing real-time data collection via mobile applications and optional online self-enumeration. The exercise will also include caste enumeration for the first time, adding a new dimension to the data set. With an approved budget of ₹11,718 crore, the initiative underscores the scale, complexity, and evolving nature of India’s population mapping efforts.