New Delhi: India will conduct its 16th national census in 2027, 16 years after the last one in 2011. The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a notification to this effect. This time, caste-based data will also be collected.
In regions with harsh winters—like Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand—the process will begin on October 1, 2026. In other regions, it will commence from March 1, 2027.
The census will be conducted digitally using mobile devices. Around 1.3 lakh enumerators will be deployed. It will be completed in two phases: one focusing on housing and amenities, the second on individual data.
