Thirty lakh officials, Rs. 11,718 crore, mobile apps — India’s mega Census 2027 to be held in two phases

The Census will be carried out in two phases:

Houselisting and Housing Census: April to September 2026

Population Enumeration (PE): February 2027

For the Union Territory of Ladakh, and the snow-bound, non-synchronous regions of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the Population Enumeration will be conducted earlier, in September 2026.

Also Read: Is Mamata losing her grip? Humayun Kabir’s Muslim outreach triggers political drama in Bengal ahead of 2026!

The large-scale national exercise will involve approximately 30 lakh field functionaries.

According to a government statement, the adoption of a mobile app for data collection and a central monitoring portal will significantly enhance the quality, transparency, and timeliness of the data.

The 2027 Census will be the 16th nationwide Census and the 8th since Independence. It remains the country’s most comprehensive source of primary, granular data at the village, town, and ward levels. The Census provides critical insights on housing conditions, amenities and assets, demography, religion, SC/ST composition, language, literacy, education, economic activity, migration, fertility, and more.

The exercise is governed by the Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990, which outline the legal framework for its conduct.