The Union Home Ministry on Monday officially announced that India’s next population census will be conducted in 2027.

The government issued a notification for conducting India's 16th census. It said that the reference date for the said census shall be 00.00 hours of the 1st of March, 2027, except for the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

In respect of the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date shall be 00:00 hours of the 1st of October, 2026.

India currently has a population of 146 crores+ and is the world's most populous country.