2027 Census: 34 questions planned, refusal to share details may attract penalty

India’s next population census will be conducted in two phases in 2026 and 2027, with officials set to collect data on housing conditions, household facilities, assets, and family details through digital applications and self-enumeration options.

The Centre has approved an expenditure of ₹11,718.24 crore for the exercise. Officials said the census will use Android and iOS-based applications in 16 languages, including Gujarati, and will also support offline data collection.

Census Director Sujal J Mayatra said citizens will be able to opt for “self-enumeration” through the official portal from May 17 to May 31. The data submitted online will later be verified by field enumerators (population counters) before being added to the main database.

Under the Census Act, 1948, and Census Rules, 1990, citizens are legally required to provide accurate and complete information. Officials said refusal to share details may attract penalties, while all information collected will remain confidential and cannot be used for legal or taxation purposes.

Census to be conducted in two phases

The census operation has been divided into two phases.

The first phase, titled “House Listing and Housing Census”, will be conducted from June 1 to June 30. The second phase, “Population Enumeration”, is scheduled from February 9 to February 28, 2027.

Officials said the housing census phase will focus on collecting details about households, living conditions, amenities, and assets, while the population enumeration phase will record demographic and personal data.

Citizens can opt for self-enumeration

Citizens choosing self-enumeration can submit their details through the official portal:

https://se.census.gov.in

After completing the process, respondents will receive an SEID number, which must be shown to the enumerator during verification visits.

Officials said the feature is intended to speed up data collection and reduce the workload of field staff.

More than 1 lakh enumerators to participate

According to officials, the census exercise will involve:

1,10,598 house-listing blocks

1,08,038 enumerators

18,254 supervisors

The government plans to rely heavily on digital systems for data collection and management during the exercise.

Questions to cover housing, facilities and assets

During the House Listing and Housing Census phase, officials will ask 34 questions related to the household and family.

The questionnaire will include details such as house number, ownership status, number of rooms, and materials used for the floor, walls, and roof. Officials will also record the condition of the house.

Family-related information, including the total number of members, the name of the head of the household, gender, and whether the family belongs to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe categories, will also be collected.

The census will additionally gather details about household facilities, including the source of drinking water, electricity connection, toilet availability and type, drainage system, bathroom facilities, kitchen availability, LPG or PNG connections, and the type of cooking fuel used.

Digital connectivity and household assets also included

Officials said the survey will also cover household assets and digital connectivity.

Enumerators will ask whether families own items such as radios, televisions, laptops, computers, mobile phones, smartphones, bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, cars, jeeps, or vans.

The questionnaire will also include details about internet access and the primary food grain consumed by the household.

Officials reiterated that all information collected during the census would remain confidential under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948, and would not be shared for taxation or legal proceedings.