Census 2027: what it is, when it counts your village, and what changes here

Two phases

Phase I, the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO), ran from 1 April to 30 September 2026: each State and Union Territory chose a 30-day window for its house-to-house listing of buildings, households, amenities and assets (31 questions). Phase II, the Population Enumeration, counts every person and is scheduled for February 2027 in most States.

Source: PIB: Cabinet approves the scheme for the conduct of Census of India 2027 (7 Jan 2026); PIB: Census 2027 — the world's largest census exercise begins with Houselisting Operations (1 Apr 2026); Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India — Census 2027 notices (12 Nov 2026)

Reference date: 00:00 hours on 1 March 2027

The population count refers to the moment 00:00 hours on 1 March 2027. For the snow-bound and non-synchronous areas of Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand the reference moment is 00:00 hours on 1 October 2026, and their population enumeration was held in August–September 2026.

Source: Gazette of India notification of the intent to take Census 2027 (Ministry of Home Affairs, RGI) (16 Jun 2025); PIB: Cabinet approves the scheme for the conduct of Census of India 2027 (7 Jan 2026)

Digital, with self-enumeration

This is India's first digital census: about 30 lakh enumerators and supervisors record answers on mobile applications (Android and iOS), and the public may fill in their own household's details on the census portal during a 15-day self-enumeration window just before the enumerators' round, receiving a Self-Enumeration ID to quote at the door. The portal works in 16 languages.

Source: PIB: Cabinet approves the scheme for the conduct of Census of India 2027 (7 Jan 2026); PIB: Census 2027 — the world's largest census exercise begins with Houselisting Operations (1 Apr 2026)

Poll-bound States count earlier

Because of their 2027 assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and the snow-free areas of Uttarakhand hold the population enumeration from 1 December 2026 to 4 January 2027 (self-enumeration 16–30 November 2026; revisional round 5–9 January 2027), as notified by the Registrar General. The dates for the remaining States are notified separately.

Source: Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India — Census 2027 notices (12 Nov 2026)

Caste is enumerated

The Union Cabinet decided on 30 April 2025 that caste will be enumerated in Census 2027 for the first time since 1931; it is recorded in the population enumeration questionnaire. VoiceOfVillage holds no caste field anywhere and will not publish caste tables.

Source: PIB: Cabinet approves the scheme for the conduct of Census of India 2027 (7 Jan 2026)

What it means for a village page

Every population, household and literacy figure on this site comes from Census 2011 (Primary Census Abstract and Village Directory), the latest village-level tables ever published. Census 2027 village tables are expected only after the provisional totals (which are national and State figures); when the village tables are released, VoiceOfVillage will load them and label every figure with its census year. Until then the 2011 figures stay, clearly dated, next to the official 2026 projection where one exists.

Source: Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India — Census 2027 notices (12 Nov 2026)

Each village page’s population, households, literacy and worker figures carry the label Census 2011, with a 2026 estimate (Census 2011 × the State’s official projection ratio) shown separately where one exists. When the Census 2027 village tables are published — after the provisional national and State totals — VoiceOfVillage will load them and label every figure with its census year, keeping the 2011 figure beside it for the “then and now” comparison.

Until then nothing on a village page is estimated from Census 2027, and no village figure here comes from any source other than the Census and the Local Government Directory. All data sources · Report an error