India Census 2027 Data to Release in 2027

New Delhi, March 30, 2026 Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan announced on Monday that initial data sets from the upcoming Census 2027 will be released as early as 2027, thanks to digital collection methods, during a press conference at the National Media Centre here. The announcement drew immediate political attention, as opposition leaders cited it to question the government's push for constitutional amendments related to women's reservation in legislatures.

Narayan emphasized the confidentiality of individual responses, protected under Section 15 of the Census Act, 1948. He stated that personal data cannot be disclosed under the Right to Information Act, used as evidence in court, or shared with any government or private entity. Only aggregated statistical data will be compiled for public use. "All the individual data collected during the exercise remains confidential," Narayan said. He urged citizens to provide accurate information to enumerators, assuring that it would not affect eligibility for government schemes.

The census, the 16th overall and eighth since independence, will proceed in two phases. The first, House Listing and Housing...