Census 2027: How India Plans To Release Population Data In Just 9 Months
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The Centre has set March 1, 2027, as the reference date for the census - the first since the Covid-19 pandemic forced a delay in the originally scheduled 2020 enumeration
India's decennial population count will enter a new era in 2027 with the country's first fully digital census, promising a major leap in efficiency, transparency, and speed. According to top government sources, the final population data, with granular details on gender distribution at the national, state, district, and taluka levels, could be available by December 2027, barely nine months after the fieldwork concludes.
This marks a dramatic shift from the 2011 Census, which took nearly two years to compile and release its final datasets. Officials attribute the time savings to a complete digital overhaul, including mobile app-based data collection, multilingual support, and cutting-edge processing tools.
The Centre has set March 1, 2027, as the reference date for the census – the first since the Covid-19 pandemic forced a delay in the originally scheduled 2020 enumeration. The operation will be conducted in two phases:
1. House Listing Phase: Beginning in 2026, this stage will involve identifying and listing households.
2. Population Enumeration Phase: Scheduled for February 2027, this will include the collection of individual data such as name, age, gender, education level, and other demographic indicators.
Digital Census 2027: Key Innovations
For the first time in history, the census will be entirely paperless. Enumerators will use specially developed mobile applications, available in 16 languages, including Hindi, English, and 14 regional tongues, to collect data directly from households. Citizens will also be given the option of self-enumeration via the app, an unprecedented feature that adds a layer of accessibility and autonomy to the process.
The most striking promise of the 2027 Census is the nine-month turnaround from data collection to the release of final population figures.
In previous censuses, a significant bottleneck was the physical handling of data – manual entries, paper schedule scanning, and logistics related to transporting and storing documents. The digital approach eliminates all of this. Data will be entered directly at the point of collection and instantly uploaded to central servers for analysis.
According to officials, the combination of mobile-first tools, automated processing systems, and streamlined logistics could cut the traditional timeline by more than half.
This will be the most high-tech and efficient census India has ever seen, a senior government source involved in the planning said, adding that the expected release of detailed population data is by December 2027.
First Published:
June 12, 2025, 13:16 IST
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