Census 2027: House-to-House Population Count to Begin on January 25; Self-Enumeration from January 10

New Delhi, Oct 31: The Centre has announced the schedule for the second phase of Census 2027, with the nationwide house-to-house population enumeration set to begin on January 25, 2027, and continue until February 28. A revisional round will subsequently be conducted from March 1 to March 5, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

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As part of the exercise, citizens will also have the option of completing their census details through a self-enumeration facility between January 10 and January 24, ahead of the commencement of the door-to-door survey.

The reference date for Census 2027 has been fixed at midnight (00:00 hours) on March 1, 2027.

The scheduled exercise will cover all States and Union Territories, with certain exceptions. The notification excludes Manipur until further orders, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Second Phase to Capture Detailed Population Data

Census 2027 is being conducted in two phases. The first phase, covering House Listing and Housing Census, commenced in April 2026 and focused on gathering information about housing conditions, household facilities, basic amenities and assets.

The second phase will focus on collecting detailed demographic, social and economic information about individuals through a household schedule comprising 40 questions.

The information will cover several important aspects, including age, marital status, religion, caste, educational qualifications, employment, migration, disability and other demographic indicators.

Comprehensive Caste Enumeration: A Major Highlight

One of the most significant features of Census 2027 will be the inclusion of comprehensive caste enumeration across all communities.

This will make it the first census since Independence to systematically collect caste-related information across all communities. In previous censuses, including the 2011 Census, systematic caste enumeration was primarily limited to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The decision to undertake comprehensive caste enumeration was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on April 30, 2025.

India's First Digital Census

Another major milestone is that Census 2027 will be India's first fully digital census, with data collection being carried out using digital tools and technology.

The Central Government has approved a budgetary allocation of Rs 11,718.24 crore for conducting the nationwide exercise.

The census will cover all 36 States and Union Territories, encompassing 7,092 sub-districts, 5,128 statutory towns, 4,580 census towns and approximately 6.39 lakh villages.

With digital data collection, comprehensive caste enumeration and detailed household-level information, Census 2027 is expected to provide an updated picture of India's demographic, social and economic landscape.