India is preparing to carry out a nationwide census that will cost more than $1 billion and involve over three million officials.
The exercise begins on April 1 after being delayed from 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It will start with a short online registration period, followed by a large door-to-door survey across the country.
The census will be done in two stages. The first will record housing details. The second will collect information on people, including social and economic data.
“The first will list houses and housing conditions, the second – inhabitants and their economic and social parameters,” Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan said.
India, with more than 1.4 billion people, overtook China in 2023 to become the world’s most populous nation, according to the United Nations Population Fund.
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Officials say the census is important for planning and policy, especially as the country’s young population is seen as an economic advantage.
The exercise will also collect caste data, a sensitive issue in India’s society and politics.
“There are scores of caste-based political parties, and many state institutions must offer affirmative action quotas to the so-called lower castes for employment and college places.”
Supporters say the data will improve government planning. Critics warn it could deepen social divisions.
India last collected caste data in 2011, but the results were not fully released.
The census is expected to end by March 2027, with digital processing expected to speed up data release.