Coming this year: Houselisting Census, and the questions you will be asked on Internet use, cooking fuel

Every structure — residential, commercial or mixed-use — is visited by enumerators. Each household is assigned a unique Census house number and household number, which later becomes the basis for enumerating individuals. This phase allows the Registrar General of India (RGI) to assess housing conditions, access to basic amenities and household assets, and to finalise the enumeration blocks for the main Census.

How will it be conducted this time?

For Census 2027, houselisting will be conducted primarily through a digital-first approach. Enumerators will use a mobile application on smartphones or handheld devices to collect and upload data. The app will support offline data entry, with automatic syncing once connectivity is available.

For the first time, the Census architecture also allows for self-enumeration. Households that choose to fill in details online will be able to submit information through a government portal, after which enumerators will only verify and authenticate the entries during their visit.

Each Census house will be geo-tagged, enabling precise mapping and reducing the risk of omission or duplication. Supervisors will monitor progress in near real time through dashboards under the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS).

Why has the Houselisting Phase been reimagined

According to the RGI, unlike earlier Censuses, where houselisting largely served descriptive and tabulation purposes, the 2027 Census treats this phase as the backbone on which digital enumeration, self-enumeration, geo-referencing and quality control will rest.

According to RGI, once enumeration shifts to mobile applications and near-real-time monitoring, errors or gaps at the houselisting stage can cascade through the entire Census. Accurate identification of structures, households and amenities is therefore critical not just for coverage, but for linking housing data with individual-level socio-economic information — including caste — in the population phase. This explains why greater precision, standardisation and verification have been built into the houselisting design.

How is this different from previous Censuses?

The houselisting exercise in 2011 was largely paper-based, dependent on handwritten schedules and physical maps. Data entry and validation often took years.

In contrast, the 2026 houselisting will: Use GPS tagging of houses and enumeration blocks, rely on standardised drop-down menus instead of descriptive handwritten answers, enable instant validation checks for inconsistencies, and allow faster aggregation and processing of data.

Another important change is the expanded scope of questions, reflecting shifts in living standards, digital access and consumption patterns over the past decade.

What questions will be asked?

Under a notification issued in January 2026 under the Census Act, 1948, the government has authorised Census officers to collect information under 33 items during the houselisting and housing Census.

Broadly, the questions fall under six categories:

1. Identification and Structure: These include the building number, Census house number, and the predominant material used for the floor, walls and roof, as well as the condition and use of the Census house.
2. Household Composition: Enumerators will record the household number, total number of persons usually residing in the household, the name and sex of the head of household, and whether the head belongs to a Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or other category.
3. Ownership and Space: Information will be collected on ownership status of the house, number of dwelling rooms in exclusive possession of the household, and the number of married couples living in it — a key indicator for assessing overcrowding and housing shortages.
4. Water, Sanitation and Energy Access: Questions will cover the main source of drinking water, whether it is available within the premises, source of lighting, access to a latrine, type of latrine, waste water outlet, availability of bathing facility, presence of a kitchen, and whether the household has LPG or piped natural gas (PNG).
5. Fuel and Digital Connectivity: Households will be asked about the main fuel used for cooking and access to the internet — a new development indicator reflecting the centrality of digital connectivity in governance and service delivery.
6. Assets and Consumption: Enumerators will record ownership of assets such as radio, television, laptop or computer, telephone/mobile phone/smartphone, bicycles, two-wheelers and cars. A new question asks about the main cereal consumedby the household, offering insights into dietary patterns and food security.

There are seven new or revised questions added this time as compared to 2010 houselisting phase questionnaire. These include: Availability of internet connection in the house, Ownership of mobile phone and smartphone, Access to drinking water source inside the dwelling, Gas connection type—distinguishing between piped natural gas and LPG, Vehicle ownership—with distinctions between two-wheelers, four-wheelers, and commercial vehicles, and the type of Cereal Consumed in the household is to be recorded

In another first, households will be requested to share a mobile number for Census-related communications only, which officials say will be used for follow-ups and dissemination of information.

Why do these questions matter?

Houselisting data feeds directly into policymaking. Information on housing quality informs schemes such as PM Awas Yojana, data on water, sanitation and cooking fuel shapes interventions under Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission and Ujjwala. Asset ownership and internet access help governments identify digital and economic divides.

The updated question set also reflects how the definition of deprivation has evolved — from basic shelter to connectivity, clean energy and mobility.