Census 2027

Census 2027 guide

Census 2027 dates

India's 16th census runs in two phases. Phase 1 listed every building and home. Phase 2 counts every person, at different times in different parts of the country.

  1. 1 Apr – 30 Sep 2026

    Phase 1: homes

    Every state and union territory, each in its own 30-day window

    Households could fill in the form online in the 15 days before their window.

  2. 1 Sep – 5 Oct 2026

    Phase 2: people, in snow-bound areas

    Ladakh and the snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand

    Counted 1–30 September, checked 1–5 October. Everyone is counted as of 1 October 2026. Online self-enumeration opened on 17 August.

  3. 16–30 Nov 2026

    Fill it in online: four states

    Goa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand

    The self-enumeration window before the door-to-door count.

  4. 1 Dec 2026 – 9 Jan 2027

    Phase 2: people, in four states

    Goa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand

    Moved earlier because these states have assembly elections due in 2027. Counted 1 December 2026 to 4 January 2027, checked 5–9 January. Everyone is counted as of 5 January 2027.

  5. 9–28 Feb 2027

    Phase 2: people, everywhere else

    All other states and union territories

    Everyone is counted as of midnight on 1 March 2027. Online self-enumeration dates have not been announced yet.

What is the reference date?

The census counts people as they were at one moment, called the reference date. In most of India that is midnight on 1 March 2027. A baby born after that moment isn't counted; a person who dies after it is.

When will the results come out?

No dates have been announced. After the 2011 census, the first population totals came out on 31 March 2011, a month after the count ended, and detailed tables followed over the next few years.

How this compares with 2011

The 2011 census listed homes from April to September 2010 and counted people from 9 to 28 February 2011, with 1 March 2011 as the reference date. Census 2027 keeps the same rhythm, but enumerators use a mobile app instead of paper forms, and households can answer online.

Sources: Gazette of India notification S.O. 99(E) of 7 January 2026 and later notifications from the Office of the Registrar General, India.