Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on 07 May 2026 launched Census 2027’s first phase in Lucknow, joining states including Goa, Karnataka, Odisha, Sikkim, and Mizoram, and regions such as NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board, that began formal house-listing enumeration in April 2026.
“Uttar Pradesh will lead the nation in the Census 2027 process. Accurate data is the foundation of good governance and welfare delivery.”
Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh · Launch Event, Lucknow · 07 May 2026
What Phase 1 Involves
House-listing enumerators will survey all residential and non-residential structures across the 75 districts, recording ownership, construction type, amenities, and household assets. This data directly feeds beneficiary targeting for Central and state welfare schemes.
The exercise is supervised nationally by the Registrar General of India under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Phase 1 commenced nationally on April 1, 2026, with UP’s launch bringing India’s most populous state into the enumeration cycle.
Why UP Anchors the National Count
UP recorded a population of 19.98 crore in the 2011 Census — the highest of any Indian state. Current projections place the figure above 24 crore. Accurate enumeration here is critical to national resource allocation, parliamentary delimitation, and beneficiary coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
UP holds 80 Lok Sabha seats — more than any other state — making its headcount consequential for delimitation calculations due after Census 2027 data is published.
The last completed Census was conducted in 2011. The 2021 Census was suspended in March 2020 due to Covid-19 and was never rescheduled. Census 2027 will end a 16-year gap — the longest in independent India’s history.
ℹ️ Census 2027: Key Background
- Previous Census: 2011, conducted under UPA-II
- 2021 Census: suspended March 2020 due to Covid-19; never rescheduled
- Phase 1 national launch: April 1, 2026 — initial states include Goa, Karnataka, Odisha, Sikkim, Mizoram, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board
- Census 2027: coordinated by the Registrar General of India under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs
- Lok Sabha delimitation is constitutionally linked to post-Census population data
- UP’s 80 Lok Sabha seats are the most of any state
Timelines
Phase 1 house-listing across UP’s 75 districts is scheduled to run through October 2026. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has set February 2027 as the national start date for phase 2 population enumeration, where enumerators will count individuals household by household.
FAQ
What is the difference between phase 1 and the population count?
When will Census 2027 results be published?
How does Census data affect welfare schemes?
