- Most states' population count begins January 25, 2027.
- Self-enumeration option available from January 10, 2027.
- Poll-bound and snow-bound areas have separate schedules.
The government has announced the schedule for the second phase of Census 2027, with population enumeration set to begin across most states and Union Territories on January 25, 2027. The house-to-house exercise will continue until February 28, followed by a revisional round from March 1 to March 5.
The announcement was made by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, on Friday, October 30. The reference date for the census will be midnight on March 1, 2027.
Residents will also have the option of self-enumeration from January 10 to January 24, before census officials begin the house-to-house population count.
However, the January-February schedule will not apply to all regions. Separate notifications have already been issued for poll-bound states and certain snow-bound areas, while Manipur's schedule is yet to be announced.
When Will Census Officials Visit Your State?
The January 25-February 28 schedule will apply to most states and Union Territories. However, several regions will follow separate arrangements.
Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and the non-snow-bound areas of Uttarakhand will have an earlier schedule because of the upcoming Assembly elections. According to the Census of India website, self-enumeration in these regions will take place from November 16 to November 30, 2026. House-to-house population enumeration will follow from December 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027, with a revisional round from January 5 to January 9.
Manipur has been kept out of the January-February schedule until a further announcement. The government is expected to announce its schedule separately.
Ladakh and the snow-bound, non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are also excluded from the general schedule and have separate arrangements.
Can You Fill In Your Census Details Yourself?
Yes. The government has provided a self-enumeration facility ahead of the house-to-house population count.
For most states, the facility will be available from January 10 to January 24, 2027. Residents can use this option to submit their household details before census officials begin visiting homes.
In the four poll-bound states and regions covered by the separate schedule, the self-enumeration window will run from November 16 to November 30, 2026.
What Will Census 2027 Cover?
The 2027 Census, the eighth since Independence, is being conducted in two phases. The first phase covers house listing and the housing census, while the second focuses on population enumeration.
The population count will collect information about India's demographic, social and economic characteristics. The data will help the government understand population patterns and living conditions and support policy planning and the allocation of public resources.
The decennial exercise was originally scheduled for 2021 but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 11,718 crore for conducting Census 2027.
When Was India's Last Census Conducted?
India's last census was conducted in 2011, when the country's population stood at 1.21 billion. This included 62.32 crore males and 58.75 crore females. The country had 24.95 crore households at the time.
The government has said that information collected during the census will remain confidential and will be used only for statistical purposes.