Digital Census 2027 Begins: Citizens Can Submit Data from Home via Mobile App
India has begun preparations for its 16th national census, which will also be the country’s first fully digital population survey. The Census of India 2027 will use a mobile application for data collection and introduce a self-enumeration portal that will allow citizens to submit their information from home.
The first phase of the Census of India 2027—the house listing and housing census—will be conducted from April 1 to September 30. Each India state and union territory will carry out the exercise within a designated 30-day period. The second phase, which focuses on population enumeration, is scheduled to begin on March 1 the following year. This nationwide exercise marks the country’s 16th census overall and the eighth since independence, beginning with the house listing phase conducted according to separate schedules for different states and union territories.
According to Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, the Census Commissioner of India, enumerators will collect detailed information about buildings and households. This includes the materials used in construction, the purpose of the structure, the number of residents living there, ownership details, and the number of rooms in the building. During the House Listing Operations (HLO), all structures, houses, and households are recorded to create a comprehensive database that will serve as the foundation for the next stage—Population Enumeration (PE). The questionnaire will contain 33 questions covering households, living conditions, and access to essential facilities.
For the first time, census workers will use smartphones and a mobile application to collect and submit data, replacing the traditional paper-based system. In addition, residents will be able to submit their details online through a self-enumeration portal available in 16 languages, including Hindi and English. Officials stated that respondents can log in using their mobile number, enter details about their household, and receive a unique self-enumeration ID, which can be shared with the enumerator during their visit.
The house listing process will be conducted from April 16 to May 15 in regions such as Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Sikkim, while self-enumeration in these areas will take place from April 1 to April 15. In other regions including Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, and Haryana, house listing will be conducted from May 1 to May 30, with self-enumeration taking place from April 16 to April 30.
The second phase—population enumeration—is scheduled for February 2027. However, in snow-bound regions such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, and parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the process will begin earlier, before September 2026. The official reference date for the census is set at midnight on March 1, 2027, while for snow-covered areas the reference date will be October 1, 2026. During the second phase, caste data will also be collected as part of the population enumeration exercise.