Census 2027 Phase 1 completed in 23 States and UTs; digital enumeration gains momentum

The first phase of Census 2027, known as the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO), has been completed in 23 states and Union Territories, according to a government statement issued on Tuesday. The nationwide census exercise, being conducted digitally for the first time, is progressing across the country ahead of the population enumeration phase scheduled for next year.

Authorities said a 15-day self-enumeration process is currently underway in Kerala and Nagaland. This will be followed by field operations from July 1 to July 30. Meanwhile, field enumeration has already begun in Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Puducherry and Uttar Pradesh.

Residents who have completed self-enumeration through the official online platform have been asked to keep their generated self-enumeration ID ready and share it with census officials during verification visits. Households that have not used the online facility will be covered through door-to-door visits by enumerators.

The ₹11,718-crore Census 2027 exercise is the eighth national census conducted since Independence and is being carried out in two phases. The first phase, running from April 1 to September 30, focuses on listing all houses, buildings and households across the country to create a framework for population enumeration.

For the first time, enumerators are using a dedicated mobile application to collect data digitally. During field visits, officials gather information on housing conditions, household facilities, ownership details and other socio-economic indicators through a 33-question survey.

The government has also introduced a self-enumeration option, allowing citizens to submit details online before verification by census officials. Each state and Union Territory has been provided a schedule consisting of 15 days of self-enumeration followed by 30 days of field operations.

The second phase, Population Enumeration, will begin in February 2027 and will record demographic, social and economic details of every resident. The exercise will also include caste-related data collection.

The reference date for Census 2027 has been fixed as March 1, 2027, for most states and Union Territories. However, for Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be October 1, 2026, to accommodate seasonal conditions.