4 min readJun 15, 2026 06:25 AM IST First published on: Jun 15, 2026 at 06:25 AM ISTThree hundred million enumerators will knock on doors all over the country for the first time in 16 years to conduct the world’s largest head count. The sheer amount of change that the Census will document is going to be phenomenal, particularly for socio-economic and demographic indicators. While we wait for this, let’s examine the trends that have already been captured by other surveys.India’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) stood at 93 as per SRS 2021, a decline of 86 per cent compared to the global reduction of 48 per cent over the past 33 years (PIB, May 10, 2025). It has further come down to 88 (Special Bulletin on MMR in India 2021-23, RGI). Various policy interventions have been credited for this achievement. However, while states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have already met the UN-SDG MMR target of less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births, others like Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh are still struggling. Census 2027, cross-referenced with health system data, will enable district-level maternal mortality mapping. This will allow policies to be targeted more precisely.AdvertisementThe demographic transition process reveals that socio-economic development positively impacts mortality, and the statistics for infant and child mortality rate also confirm it — it declined from 39 in 2014 to 27 in 2021. The neonatal mortality rate has declined from 26 in 2014 to 19 in 2021. The under-five mortality rate has declined from 45 in 2014 to 31 in 2021. This highlights improvements in health infrastructure and policy interventions. Although the Census 2027 is likely to confirm continued improvements in aggregate, it is the state-by-state and district-level pictures which will matter.The 2011 Census recorded child sex ratio: 919 females per 1,000 live births, a decline from 927. This was attributed to intense son preference and misuse of NRTs (New Reproductive Technologies). To curb this, the state had a dual response of the PC-PNDT Act on the supply side, and conditional cash transfer schemes incentivising the birth and survival of girl children on the demand side.The NFHS 5 data shows a glimmer of hope where the sex ratio at birth for children born in the preceding five years was 929 females per 1,000 males, and the sex ratio of the population was estimated at 1020. Interventions like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao showed measurable improvements in some areas. However, the Census 2027 will provide an authoritative picture.AdvertisementIndia has witnessed concerted efforts in achieving higher enrolments at all levels of education. With policies such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, there has been emphasis on girls’ education. Yet, Census 2027 is expected to reveal an adult literacy gap, since as per available data, 14.4 per cent overall literacy gap between men and women persists, concentrated in rural pockets. Another issue will be digital literacy. The gender digital divide is emerging as the next frontier of inequality.you may likeAlthough female labour force participation has seen major improvements, the gender gap remains. Although the Census will not replace the PLFS as the primary source of labour force data, it will provide an updated population denominator with its questions on occupation, offering a comprehensive picture of India’s labour market.It is the first time in independent India that caste-based data will be collected. It is expected to be a detailed catalogue of declared castes, cross-referenced with socio-economic indicators. This will allow for a much more nuanced picture of where disadvantages are concentrated, enabling targeted policies and reservation frameworks. The Census will indicate the transformative progress in human development indices. For policymakers, researchers, and citizens, it is a mirror that India has been waiting for.Nanda is professor of Political Science and principal of Miranda House, University of Delhi. Ray and Mani teach political science at Kamala Nehru College and Vivekananda College, University of Delhi, respectively