The first phase of the Census in Delhi, which concluded on Sunday, has recorded a population of 2.3 crore normal residents in the National Capital Territory (NCT). North East Delhi emerged as the most populated district with 28.7 lakh residents, while New Delhi had the smallest population at 2.4 lakh.
Census 2027 Houselisting Phase Results
In the 2011 Census, the total population was approximately 16.8 lakh, but a direct comparison with the provisional figures from the houselisting phase of Census 2027 is not possible. Census officials stated that the final population of NCT Delhi will be known only after the second phase, the population enumeration, scheduled for February 2027.
A total of 55 lakh households were enumerated across Delhi, including 1.66 lakh households (3%) that opted for self-enumeration. The total number of houses stands at nearly 76 lakh. Officials noted that the increase in households and population is expected given the nearly 15-year gap since the last census.
Definitions and District Changes
A census household refers to a group of people sharing food from a common kitchen, while census houses include all residential, non-residential, commercial units, places of worship, educational institutions, and offices. District-wise comparison with 2011 data is challenging because the number of districts increased from nine to 13, with new districts such as Outer Delhi, South East Delhi, Old Delhi, and Central North Delhi.
District-wise Population
The houselisting phase returned the following population figures: North East Delhi (28.7 lakh), South West Delhi (25 lakh), West Delhi (24.4 lakh), South East Delhi (22.7 lakh), East Delhi (21.6 lakh), North West Delhi (20.6 lakh), South Delhi (20.5 lakh), Outer North (19.1 lakh), North Delhi (17 lakh), Central North (11.3 lakh), Central Delhi (9.6 lakh), Old Delhi (7.5 lakh), and New Delhi (2.4 lakh).
Households and Houses
South West Delhi leads in households with 6.2 lakh, followed by North East (6.1 lakh), West Delhi (5.9 lakh), East Delhi (5.5 lakh), South East (5.4 lakh), South Delhi (5.3 lakh), North West Delhi (4.7 lakh), Outer North (4.4 lakh), North Delhi (4 lakh), Central North (2.7 lakh), Central Delhi (2.4 lakh), Old Delhi (1.6 lakh), and New Delhi (63,050).
For houses, South West Delhi tops with over 8.2 lakh, followed by North East and West Delhi (over 8 lakh each), East Delhi (7.5 lakh), Outer North (7.2 lakh), South East (7.1 lakh), South Delhi (6.8 lakh), North West (6.3 lakh), North Delhi (5.4 lakh), Central North (3.8 lakh), Central Delhi (3.6 lakh), Old Delhi (2.9 lakh), and New Delhi (over 1 lakh).
Phases of Census 2027
Census 2027 is conducted in two phases: the houselisting phase (April 1 to September 30, 2026) and the population enumeration phase (February 2027), which will also record caste. The reference date is March 1, 2027. Being a digital census, data tables are expected to be released sooner. Only 3% of Delhi households used the self-enumeration facility.
