The Census remains a cornerstone of governance, providing reliable and comprehensive data for informed policymaking and inclusive development. The upcoming Census 2027 will strengthen the framework by providing updated and detailed information. This will support more precise, data-driven planning and help address emerging challenges in a rapidly changing socio-economic landscape. The Census 2027 will mark a major milestone in the nation’s governance framework as it becomes the first Census to be conducted through digital means.

The Union Cabinet has approved a financial outlay of over eleven thousand seven hundred crore rupees for the Census. The Census will be conducted in two phases. The first phase, houselisting and housing Census, will take place between April and September this year. While, the second phase, population enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027 and will capture demographic, socio-economic and cultural details of individuals. Caste data will also be collected during this phase.

To support the exercise, the government has developed a Census Management and Monitoring System portal for real-time supervision. The reference date for the Census has been fixed as midnight of March 1, 2027, while snow-bound areas will follow an earlier timeline. Census 2027 is expected to be more precise, data-driven and will address emerging challenges in a rapidly changing socio-economic landscape.