The Indian Census is conducted every ten years to determine the country's population. It also collects comprehensive information about the Indian populace, including their age, level of education, occupation, etc.

In 1872, during the tenure of Governor-General Lord Mayo, the first asynchronous census was conducted in India. The first synchronous census was conducted on February 17, 1881, under British rule by W.C. Plowden (Census Commissioner of India).

The last Indian Census was conducted in 2011. This was the fifteenth Indian Census. This consisted of two phases: the home listing and the population count. The 2011 census revealed that Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India.

Data collectected

During the second phase of the census, each individual is enumerated and her/his personal details such as Age, Marital status, Religion, Schedule Cast/Tribe, Mother tongue, Education level, Disability, Economic activity, Migration, and Fertility (for female) are collected.

Here are the repositories available in Indian census data.

Population finder

The Population Finder retrieves information from the Primary Census Abstract (PCA) data tables. These tables comprise 85 available district, subdistrict, town, village, and ward indicators. These indicators are also available separately for urban and rural districts and subdistricts. The indicators include the number of households, population by gender, age category, scheduled castes and tribes, employment status, and more.

Census table

The census tables are published as a large assortment of Excel files. These statistics are organized by census year (beginning with the 1991 census) and series. Census tables stay the same to make output comparisons easier. All of these tables are also accessible through their Census Digital Library, which provides more advanced search capabilities, and the majority of their content is accessible through our API.

Census Digital Library

The Census Digital Library attempts to compile all available resources on the Indian population counts into one easily searchable location. In this archive, you'll find our census tables and other papers (laws, rules, circulars, questionnaires, methodological documents, reports, presentations of findings, photographs, etc.). The more metadata we can provide for each resource, the easier it will be to find what you're looking for. The archive needs to be completed, but it will be continually expanded. The most recent census data and supporting materials are our top priority for release.

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