Census 2027: What are the 40 questions Indians will be asked?

Census 2027 will ask 40 questions during population enumeration, covering caste, Aadhaar, voter ID, bank accounts and Covid-19 vaccination location, along with education, work, migration and family details.Census 2027 will collect 40 details from respondents, including caste, Aadhaar, bank accounts, Covid-19 vaccination location, education, employment, migration and family information.The Census 2027 is set to ask households 40 questions during the population enumeration phase, with caste, Aadhaar and Covid-19 vaccine details among the new areas covered. The Centre has notified the questionnaire for the exercise, which begins on September 1 in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.For the first time, caste details will be collected as part of the Census, based on what respondents report. The rest of the country will undergo population enumeration next year. The Census, originally scheduled for 2021, was postponed because of the Covid-19 outbreak.CENSUS 2027 TO COLLECT CASTE DETAILSThe Census 2027 questionnaire will ask whether a person belongs to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe and will also record their caste. The questionnaire is unlikely to provide a pre-set list of castes, with responses recorded as given by respondents.The decision to include caste enumeration was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on April 30, 2025. WHAT ARE THE 40 QUESTIONS IN CENSUS 2027?The questions cover a wide range of personal and socio-economic information. Respondents will be asked about marital status, age at marriage, spouse and parents, nationality, religion, disability, mother tongue, other languages known, literacy and digital literacy.The Census 2027 will also ask about education, including attendance at educational institutions, highest qualification and field of study. Employment-related questions cover work during the previous year, occupation, economic activity, industry, type of worker and availability for work. Questions on birthplace, previous residence, reason for migration, duration of stay and permanent residential address are also included.AADHAAR, BANK ACCOUNTS AND COVID VACCINE DETAILSThe questionnaire also asks for the place where a person received their Covid-19 vaccine, along with the total number of bank accounts, mobile number, Aadhaar number, voter ID number and passport number. It also asks whether the respondent has a driving licence.Currently married, widowed, divorced and separated women will be asked about surviving children, children from their current marriage and children born alive during the previous year.WHEN WILL CENSUS 2027 BEGIN?Self-enumeration is available from August 17 to 31 in the areas where population enumeration begins on September 1. The first phase, covering house listing and housing, is continuing until September 30.The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 11,718 crore for the Census. The exercise will be conducted digitally, with enumerators using mobile applications to collect data.- EndsPublished On: Aug 17, 2026 09:18 IST