Census 2027: Data will be collected in English, Hindi and regional languages, citizens can self-enumerate through web portal

#Census2027 will be the 1st Digital Census in the country.

Data will be collected using Mobile Apps (both Android & iOS) in English, Hindi and regional languages. Enumerators/Supervisors will use their own mobile device for data collection. (6/10)

— Census India 2027 (@CensusIndia2027) July 7, 2025

Last month, the government formally announced that the 16th Census of India will take place in two phases, with the reference dates set as March 1, 2027, for most of the country, and October 1, 2026, for snow-bound and remote regions such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. This census will also include the first nationwide caste enumeration since 1931.

“Census will be conducted in two phases, phase first; Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) will start from April 2026 and phase two; Population Enumeration (PE) will be conducted. Enumeration of Caste: Caste of household members will be enumerated in ensuing Census,” the post said. The option of self-enumeration through a web portal will be available for both phases: HLO and PE.

“Digital Census initiative is a transformational step towards modernising the Census process. For the first time, technology will be used to collect data and send it electronically to the central server. This will result in early availability of Census data,” the Registrar General said on X.

The Registrar General has established a three-tier training structure: national trainer, master trainer, and field trainer, to provide focused and need-based training for each phase of Census 2027. Field trainers will impart training to around 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, the post added.

“Census 2027 will have a focused publicity campaign for nationwide awareness, inclusive participation, last-mile engagement and support for field operations. It will emphasize on sharing accurate, authentic and timely information ensuring cohesive and effective outreach effort,” it said.

For Census 2027, administrative boundaries across India will be frozen on January 1, 2026. States and Union Territories have been requested not to make changes to administrative boundaries between January 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027.

In a letter to all states and Union Territories, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan told them to make any proposed changes to the boundaries of administrative units before December 31, 2025, when they will be considered final for the census exercise. He said all villages and towns are divided into uniform enumeration blocks, and for each block, an enumerator is assigned to avoid any miss or repetition during the population count.