📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Bhvintri
National
Census 2027 to Count Indians Studying, Visiting or Working Abroad
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 15 Nov 2026, 02:17 AM
👁 24
The 2027 Indian Census will include citizens who are studying, traveling or employed overseas, clarifying the scope of residency for the upcoming count.
New guidelines released by the Office of the Registrar General indicate that the 2027 Census will count Indian citizens who are temporarily abroad for education, tourism or employment. The clarification aims to capture a more accurate picture of the diaspora and its impact on demographic statistics.
According to the directive, students enrolled in foreign universities, short‑term visitors on tourist visas, and workers on overseas assignments will be recorded as part of the resident population, provided they maintain a permanent address in India. The measure seeks to align census data with the realities of a mobile population.
Officials said the inclusion will help policymakers better understand migration trends and plan for services such as education, health and social security. The census, scheduled for early 2027, will employ both digital and field‑based methods to reach citizens wherever they are.
The decision follows consultations with ministries handling foreign affairs, education and labor, ensuring that the counting criteria are consistent across sectors. The final methodology will be published ahead of the enumeration phase.
According to the directive, students enrolled in foreign universities, short‑term visitors on tourist visas, and workers on overseas assignments will be recorded as part of the resident population, provided they maintain a permanent address in India. The measure seeks to align census data with the realities of a mobile population.
Officials said the inclusion will help policymakers better understand migration trends and plan for services such as education, health and social security. The census, scheduled for early 2027, will employ both digital and field‑based methods to reach citizens wherever they are.
The decision follows consultations with ministries handling foreign affairs, education and labor, ensuring that the counting criteria are consistent across sectors. The final methodology will be published ahead of the enumeration phase.