The government has formally announced that the next nationwide Census will be carried out in two phases between 2026 and 2027, marking India’s first Census exercise since 2011.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, MoS Home Nityanand Rai said the intent to conduct Census 2027 was notified in the Gazette on June 16, 2025.
Phase I, the House Listing and Housing Census, will be conducted between April and September 2026 over a 30-day period chosen by individual states and Union Territories.
Phase II, the Population Enumeration, will take place in February 2027 with reference date March 1, 2027.
However, Ladakh and snow-bound regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand will undertake enumeration in September 2026 with reference date October 1, 2026.
Rai confirmed that caste enumeration will also be included, as cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs. The 2021 Census had been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, making this upcoming exercise the first in 16 years.
