India's 16th Census · First digital census · Updated Sep 8, 2026
Census 2027, tracked phase by phase — every date from an official source
India is counting itself for the first time since 2011. Houselisting (Phase 1) runs April 1 – September 30, 2026 — now in its final month — and Population Enumeration (Phase 2) begins February 2027, with reference date March 1, 2027. Snow-bound areas are enumerated this September against an October 1, 2026 reference date. We track all 36 states and union territories here, independently, with every date linked to the RGI, PIB or gazette release it came from.
Houselisting ends
22 days
September 30, 2026 · Phase 1 · all states
Snow-bound reference date
23 days
October 1, 2026 · Ladakh · J&K · HP · Uttarakhand
Population enumeration begins
146 days
February 1, 2027 · Phase 2 · nationwide
Census 2027 timeline
as of Sep 8, 2026Phase 1 status by state
Full table →Boundaries follow the official Survey of India depiction. Map for orientation only.
33/36
states/UTs completed houselisting
3
currently enumerating or in self-enumeration
What changed
All updates →Sep 1, 2026 Milestone
Snow-bound field enumeration begins; Manipur starts houselisting
Field enumeration for the October 1 reference date began across snow-bound areas, while Manipur — the last state in Phase 1 — began its September 1–30 houselisting window.
Source: kashmirreader.com ↗Aug 17, 2026 Milestone
Self-enumeration opens in snow-bound areas
Phase 2 self-enumeration began in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, running to August 31.
Source: kashmirreader.com ↗Aug 14, 2026 Gazette
Gazette: 40 questions notified for Population Enumeration
The Phase 2 Household Schedule was notified with 40 questions — up from 29 in 2011, including caste enumeration (first since 1931) and new fields such as Aadhaar, voter ID, mobile number and bank-account status.
Source: downtoearth.org.in ↗Aug 12, 2026 PIB
31 states/UTs have completed houselisting
The government told the Rajya Sabha that Phase 1 was complete in 31 states/UTs, with ₹4,102 crore released so far for training, manpower and technical infrastructure.
Source: nagalandtribune.in ↗
State-by-state status
| Reference date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assam | Aug 17 – Sep 15, 2026 | Enumeration underway | Mar 1, 2027 | 3,12,05,576 |
| Manipur | Sep 1–30, 2026 | Enumeration underway | Mar 1, 2027 | 28,55,794 |
| West Bengal | Aug 16 – Sep 14, 2026 | Enumeration underway | Mar 1, 2027 | 9,12,76,115 |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Apr 16 – May 15, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 3,80,581 |
| Andhra Pradesh | May 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 4,95,77,103 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | May 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 13,83,727 |
| Bihar | May 2–31, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 10,40,99,452 |
| Chandigarh | May 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 10,55,450 |
| Chhattisgarh | May 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 2,55,45,198 |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Apr 20 – May 19, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 5,86,956 |
| Delhi | Apr 16 – May 15, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 1,67,87,941 |
| Goa | Apr 16 – May 15, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 14,58,545 |
| Gujarat | Jun 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 6,04,39,692 |
| Haryana | May 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 2,53,51,462 |
| Himachal Pradesh snow-bound | Jun 16 – Jul 15, 2026 | Completed | Oct 1, 2026 | 68,64,602 |
| Jammu & Kashmir snow-bound | Jun 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Oct 1, 2026 | 1,22,67,013 |
| Jharkhand | May 16 – Jun 14, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 3,29,88,134 |
| Karnataka | Apr 16 – May 15, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 6,10,95,297 |
| Kerala | Jul 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 3,34,06,061 |
| Ladakh snow-bound | Jun 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Oct 1, 2026 | 2,74,289 |
| Lakshadweep | Apr 16 – May 15, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 64,473 |
| Madhya Pradesh | May 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 7,26,26,809 |
| Maharashtra | May 16 – Jun 14, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 11,23,74,333 |
| Meghalaya | May 16 – Jun 14, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 29,66,889 |
| Mizoram | Apr 16 – May 15, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 10,97,206 |
| Nagaland | Jul 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 19,78,502 |
| Odisha | Apr 16 – May 15, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 4,19,74,218 |
| Puducherry | Jun 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 12,47,953 |
| Punjab | May 15 – Jun 13, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 2,77,43,338 |
| Rajasthan | May 16 – Jun 14, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 6,85,48,437 |
| Sikkim | Apr 16 – May 15, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 6,10,577 |
| Tamil Nadu | Aug 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 7,21,47,030 |
| Telangana | May 11 – Jun 9, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 3,50,03,674 |
| Tripura | Aug 1–30, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 36,73,917 |
| Uttar Pradesh | May 22 – Jun 20, 2026 | Completed | Mar 1, 2027 | 19,98,12,341 |
| Uttarakhand snow-bound | Apr 25 – May 24, 2026 | Completed | Oct 1, 2026 | 1,00,86,292 |
† window reported by credible sources but not yet confirmed in an official RGI/PIB release. Each state page links every date to its source.
Census 2027 at a glance
16th census
of India's census series — 8th since Independence
₹11,718 crore
approved budget (Cabinet, Dec 12, 2025)
~31 lakh
enumerators & supervisors on the ground
16 languages
languages on the app and self-enumeration portal
73 questions
questions: 33 houselisting + 40 population enumeration
1931
first caste enumeration since
Mar 1, 2027
census reference date — the 'Census Moment'
784
districts · 6.4 lakh villages covered
Understand the census
How the census works →
India's first fully digital census: self-enumeration, the enumerator app, 16 languages, NPR — explained step by step.
What questions are asked →
Every houselisting item and population enumeration question, with why it is asked and what changed since 2011.
UPSC quick notes →
All the Census 2027 facts that show up in prelims and mains — dates, numbers, firsts, legal basis — on one printable page.
Census glossary →
From houselisting to de jure enumeration: every census term defined precisely, with official definitions.
2027 vs 2011 →
What changed in 16 years: methodology, technology, questions, cost — the first census of the digital-India era.
Full schedule →
Every announced date on one page: national windows, state houselisting windows, reference dates, expected results timeline.
Get notified at every census milestone
Phase 2 begins February 2027. One email per milestone — schedule changes, phase starts, official data releases. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
By subscribing you consent to milestone emails under our privacy policy (DPDP Act, 2023 compliant).
Frequently asked questions
When is Census 2027?
It is underway. Phase 1 (Houselisting) ran April 1 – September 30, 2026. Phase 2 (Population Enumeration) runs in February 2027 for most of India, reference date March 1, 2027. Snow-bound areas are enumerated September 1–30, 2026, reference date October 1, 2026.
Why is it called Census 2027 when it started in 2026?
A census is named for its reference date — the single moment the count describes. For most of India that is 00:00 hrs on March 1, 2027.
Is the census compulsory?
Yes. Under the Census Act, 1948, every person is legally bound to answer census questions truthfully (Section 8), and Section 11 provides penalties for refusing or giving false answers. Your individual answers are confidential under Section 15.
What is self-enumeration and can I still do it?
Self-enumeration lets households fill their own census form online at se.census.gov.in in any of 16 languages, generating an SE ID to give the enumerator. The Phase 1 windows have closed; a fresh window opens before Phase 2 in February 2027.
Will the census ask my caste?
Yes — the notified Phase 2 schedule includes caste enumeration for the full population, the first time since 1931, following the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs decision of April 30, 2025. This site explains the mechanics; castecensus2027.com covers the implications.
What questions does the census ask?
33 houselisting questions (housing conditions, amenities, assets — notified January 2026) and 40 population enumeration questions (demographics, religion, language, education, work, migration, fertility, caste — notified August 14, 2026). Every item is explained on our questionnaire pages.
Is my census data private?
Individual census records are confidential under Section 15 of the Census Act — not open to inspection and not admissible in evidence. Only aggregated statistics are ever published.
Is NPR being updated with Census 2027?
As of the government's July 2025 statement to the Lok Sabha, no decision has been taken to update the National Population Register alongside Census 2027. If that changes, it will appear in our updates feed with the official source.