New Delhi: The Central government has formally announced that India’s next population census will be conducted in 2027, the 16th nationwide enumeration and the first to include caste data since 1931.
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the official notification declaring that the Census will be conducted using digital methods and will involve a workforce of over 35 lakh personnel.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948… the Central Government hereby declares that a census of the population of India shall be taken during the year 2027,” the notification stated. It was signed by Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI).
The reference date for most of the country will be March 1, 2027, while for snow-bound and difficult terrain regions such as Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir (non-synchronous areas), Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date has been fixed as October 1, 2026, at 00:00 hours. These adjustments account for logistical and climatic challenges during the enumeration process.
Notification for #Census2027 has been issued. With this, process of Census has commenced.
Reference Date: 1st March 2027 for all States/UTs except for Ladakh and snow-bound areas of J&K, Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand where it’ll be 1st October 2026@HMOIndia @PIBHomeAffairs pic.twitter.com/3WOWqSB9nb
— Census India 2027 (@CensusIndia2027) June 16, 2025
For the first time in its history, India’s census will be carried out using mobile digital devices, marking a major shift from traditional pen-and-paper data collection methods. Citizens will also be given the option of self-enumeration through a digital platform.
The government has promised stringent security measures for data collection, storage, and transmission. “Very stringent data security measures would be kept in place to ensure data security at the time of collection, transmission, and storage,” the notification said.
The 2027 Census will mobilize an estimated 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, in addition to 1.3 lakh Census functionaries. These personnel will be trained to use digital tools and applications to carry out the enumeration process.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who chaired a high-level review meeting on Sunday (June 15) with the Home Secretary, Registrar General, and senior officials, highlighted the significance of the upcoming Census.
Reviewed the preparations for the 16th Census with senior officials.
Tomorrow, the gazette notification of the census will be issued. The census will include caste enumeration for the first time. As many as 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and around 1.3 lakh census… pic.twitter.com/wkvJda7J4e
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 15, 2025
The 2027 exercise will be the first nationwide caste census in India in nearly a century. The last such count was carried out in 1931, before Independence.
The caste enumeration is expected to provide valuable socio-economic data that may influence future policymaking, affirmative action, and welfare schemes.
Originally scheduled for 2021, the decennial Census was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last Census was held in 2011.
The 2027 Census will be India’s 8th population count since Independence and the 16th overall.
