How do you access Census Collection 1901–2026 data?

Census Collection 1901–2026 is labeled “Open download” on this guide. Open the access portal or documentation links on the record for the current host process—do not assume open download if registration or a DUA is required.

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Census 1901–2026

Indian Census Data Collection, 1901–2026: Digitised Subnational Population and Administrative Datasets

Name: Indian Census Data Collection, 1901–2026: Digitised Subnational Population and Administrative Datasets
Creator: Harvard Dataverse

This collection is used for long-run subnational census and administrative population research (1901–2026).

Open downloadCore referenceMetadata incompleteVery largeGood starting datasetStrong district source

Shivakumar Jolad; Madhav Singh · 2026 · Harvard Dataverse

demographics geospatial

Host / institution

Harvard Dataverse · Harvard Dataverse

Geography

India, state, district, subdistrict

Time coverage

1901–2026

Update frequency

Collection deposit (2026)

What this is best for

Long-run harmonized subnational census and administrative geography for India

Main limitations

Exact license string and full file manifest not confirmed in source audit (NR); verify on Dataverse landing page

Quick answers

Short research-facing answers derived from this catalog record.

What is Census Collection 1901–2026 used for?: Long-run harmonized subnational census and administrative geography for India
How do you access Census Collection 1901–2026 data?: Census Collection 1901–2026 is labeled “Open download” on this guide. Open the access portal or documentation links on the record for the current host process—do not assume open download if registration or a DUA is required.
What geography and time does Census Collection 1901–2026 cover?: Geography: India, state, district, subdistrict. Time coverage: 1901–2026.
What are the main limitations of Census Collection 1901–2026?: Exact license string and full file manifest not confirmed in source audit (NR); verify on Dataverse landing page

Guides for using this data

Official portals, user guides, codebooks, and tutorials for access and analysis.

3 links

Variables6

Live-fetched dataverse.harvard.edu (2026-07-09). Representative fields for the page table — verify the full dictionary on the official site.

Sourced from live host documentation

Open official dictionary

Name / code	Description	Group
State population	State-level population by census round	Population
District population	District-level population series	Population
Subdistrict population	Subdistrict / tehsil population	Population
Admin identifiers	Harmonized administrative codes over time	Geography
Census year	Census round / reference year	Time
Codebook / changelog	PDF codebook and change documentation	Docs

Formats

tabular · PDF codebooks

Technical tags

referencehistoricaldistrict-levelopen download

Example uses

Historical demography and district panel construction

Academic identifiers

Data DOI: 10.7910/DVN/ON8CP8

Jolad, S., and M. Singh. 2026. Indian Census Data Collection, 1901–2026. Harvard Dataverse. DOI 10.7910/DVN/ON8CP8.

Open access portal Data DOI

Pairs well with

Many Indian data problems need survey + administrative combinations.