Census 2027: first digital census with self-enumeration; Phase I begins 1 April 2026
The Registrar General announced on 30 March 2026 that Census 2027 – India's first digital census with a self-enumeration option – would begin its first phase (House Listing) from 1 April 2026.
Summary
Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan said on 30 March 2026 that Census 2027 will be held in two phases, with the first phase starting on 1 April 2026. For the first time the census will be digital, with enumerators using a mobile app, and respondents can self-enumerate online in 16 languages. Phase I (House Listing and Housing Census) runs from April to September 2026; Phase II (Population Enumeration, including caste enumeration) will be in February 2027, with reference date 1 March 2027. The Union Government has approved ₹11,718.24 crore for the exercise.
Key facts
- Census
- Census 2027 – 16th in series, 8th since Independence
- Law
- Census Act, 1948
- Phase I
- House Listing & Housing Census, April–September 2026 (begins 1 April 2026)
- Phase II
- Population Enumeration in February 2027, including caste enumeration
- Reference date
- 00:00 hrs, 1 March 2027 (1 October 2026 for Ladakh, snow-bound J&K, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh)
- Firsts
- First digital census; first self-enumeration option (16 languages)
- First to start
- Self-enumeration 1–15 April 2026 in A&N, NDMC & Delhi Cantt, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, Sikkim
- Outlay
- ₹11,718.24 crore
- RGI
- Mritunjay Kumar Narayan
Practice MCQs 4 questions
From which date did the first phase of Census 2027 begin, as announced on 30 March 2026?
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Correct answer: B — 1 April 2026
The Registrar General said the first phase of Census 2027 would begin from 1 April 2026.
Census 2027 is which census in India's series, and which since Independence?
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Correct answer: B — 16th in series, 8th since Independence
Census 2027 will be the 16th in the series and the 8th since Independence; the last census was in 2011.
What is the reference date of Census 2027 for most of India?
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Correct answer: C — 00:00 hours, 1 March 2027
The reference date is 00:00 hours of 1 March 2027; for Ladakh, snow-bound J&K, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh it is 1 October 2026.
Consider the following statements about Census 2027: 1. It is the first census in India to be conducted digitally, with a self-enumeration option. 2. Enumeration of castes will be done during the first phase (House Listing). 3. The self-enumeration portal and mobile app are available in 16 languages. Which of the above are correct?
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Correct answer: C — 1 and 3 only
Census 2027 is the first digital census with self-enumeration, available in 16 languages; caste enumeration will be done in the second phase (Population Enumeration), not the first.