Ladakh — Census 2027

Ladakh is taking part in Census 2027 — India's 16th census and its first fully digital one — like every union territory in the country, across two phases: the Houselisting & Housing Census (Phase 1, April–September 2026) and Population Enumeration (Phase 2).

Houselisting in Ladakh

In Ladakh, its 30-day houselisting window ran 2026-06-01 to 2026-06-30, preceded by an online self-enumeration window from 2026-05-17 to 2026-05-31 on se.census.gov.in. During houselisting, enumerators visited every building to record 33 notified questions on housing conditions, household amenities and assets — from drinking-water source and toilet access to internet connectivity and vehicle ownership. Households that completed self-enumeration online received a Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID) to share with the visiting enumerator instead of answering questions again.

Early enumeration — snow-bound area

Ladakh is one of the snow-bound, non-synchronous areas of Census 2027 (with Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand). Because winter cuts off access, its Population Enumeration happens early: self-enumeration ran August 17–31, 2026, field enumeration runs September 1–30, 2026, and its reference date is 00:00 hrs, October 1, 2026 — five months ahead of the rest of India.

Ladakh in numbers

At the 2011 census Ladakh recorded a population of 274,289. The union territory currently has 7 districts, with Leh as its capital. Official 2027 figures will be published by the Registrar General after enumeration — this page will link them the day they release, and until then we never publish projections.