Editorial photo #13784039 Human Interest

World's Largest Population Count Begins In Kashmir As Census 2027 Starts

Mohd Altaf Kohli, a census enumerator and school teacher, uses the House Listing Operations (HLO) application on a smartphone to collect details on housing, available amenities, and living conditions during a door-to-door survey as part of the first phase of India's 16th Census 2027 in a hilly residential area on the outskirts of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on June 04, 2026. India has launched its first fully digital Census, the 16th Census 2027 exercise, marking the start of what is expected to be the world's largest population count. The census will include caste enumeration for the first time since 1931, providing updated demographic data for policy planning and resource allocation. The $1.24 billion exercise will involve more than three million enumerators and officials surveying an estimated 1.4 billion people over the course of a year. The survey will collect information on household composition, housing conditions, socio-economic status, and access to basic amenities. India's last census, conducted in 2011, recorded a population of 1.21 billion. The country's population is now estimated to have surpassed 1.4 billion, making it the world's most populous nation. (Photo by Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto)