India Launches Historic Census: Counting Over a Billion Lives

Wed Apr 01 2026 15:46:42 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In a monumental effort, India begins its largest census to date, involving over three million officials and addressing 33 critical questions to shape the future of its 1.4 billion residents.

India has commenced its 16th national census, the first in 15 years, involving more than three million enumerators tasked with counting over a billion people. The two-phase survey will gather extensive data crucial for political representation, policy-making, and social welfare. With self-enumeration options and a focus on digital methods, it's a significant step towards modernizing census practices.

India Launches Historic Census: Counting Over a Billion Lives

Does your house have a concrete roof or a thatched one? What is your main cereal? Do you have internet access - or just a basic mobile phone? How many married couples live under your roof?

These are among the 33 questions that more than a billion Indians will be asked as the country launches the world's largest census on Wednesday, marking the first population count in more than 15 years.

The two-phase exercise, dubbed as the world's most ambitious of its kind, will enlist over three million officials to spend a year counting every person in India.

This is India's 16th census - the eighth since independence in 1947 - and it will include caste data, crucial for policy, welfare delivery, and political representation in the world's most populous country.

With more than 1.4 billion people, India recently surpassed China in population, according to the United Nations Population Fund. Despite falling fertility rates, India's median age is just 28, highlighting its status as one of the youngest populations globally.

The last census was conducted in 2011, while the 2021 round was delayed first due to the pandemic and then administrative and electoral scheduling, marking the first missed schedule for this decennial exercise.

The exercise will cover 36 states and federally-administered territories, with physical door-to-door surveys implemented through mobile apps, allowing for speedy data collection and uploads.

Self-enumeration will be introduced, enabling residents to submit their details online via a 16-language portal, which will generate a unique ID for later verification by census workers.

The initial rollout will begin in select regions including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Mizoram, and Odisha, with self-enumeration running from April 1 to April 15, followed by a house listing survey from April 16 to May 15.

This census represents the evolution of India's data collection, shifting from a mere headcount to capturing the complex socio-economic realities of its diverse population. As the state increasingly intertwines with citizens' lives, concerns regarding data use and privacy loom large, necessitating careful management of the census data.