The Karnataka Socio-Economic and Educational Survey 2025, considered the largest exercise of its kind in the state, covered 6.14 crore people by the time the door-to-door census concluded on October 31. This represents an increase from the survey conducted in 2015, which collected data from 5.98 crore people.
This means that 89.47 per cent of the state’s estimated population of 6.85 lakh crore participated in the survey, which began on September 22 this year. While the counting was initially scheduled to be completed on October 7, the deadline for the door-to-door census was extended twice. The online census window will remain open until November 10.
The final tally for the survey is expected to hover around the 90-91 percent mark, and is likely to be lower than the 94.17 percent recorded during the 2015 survey.
23% of households were classified as “vacant/closed”
Chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, Madhusudan R Naik, told The Indian Express that the commission has sufficient data to analyze the socio-economic and educational status of communities in the state. “There is no law (for the number of people to be counted). If enough people are counted, that is enough for analysis,” he said.
During the survey, 34.49 lakh (23.28%) of the estimated 1.48 lakh crore households in the state were classified as ‘vacant/locked’. In response to a question about the areas where these families are located, Naik said that the details related to these homes “are not relevant to our goal. The discussion is not necessary.” Meanwhile, following calls from BJP leaders not to share details during the survey, 4.22 lakh households (2.84%) refused to participate.
In the past, the socio-economic status of communities was ascertained through sample surveys, in which only a small proportion of the population was enumerated. For example, the Chinnappa Reddy Committee, formed in 1988, based its recommendations on a sample survey that collected and analyzed data from 525 villages across the state.
The census rate exceeds 100% in some areas
In a few areas of the state, the census rate exceeded 100 percent. According to commission officials, this was due to many Bengaluru residents registering themselves again in their native cities and villages. In Mandya district, the census rate was 110.23 per cent, 106.88 per cent in Tumakuru, 103.68 per cent in Haveri and 103.56 per cent in Chitradurga. The census rates in six other districts – Chikkamagaluru, Udupi, Gadag, Koppal, Davanagere and Chamarajanagar – were just above the 100 per cent mark.
Story continues below this ad
Ranking at the bottom are Bengaluru South, with 86.34 per cent of the projected population enumerated, and Bengaluru Urban with 87.4 per cent. Sources say the numbers are unlikely to see a significant change by November 10, as the census through the online mode has been much lower.
The survey was conducted at a cost of Rs 420 crore in August this year after the Karnataka Congress government succumbed to pressure and canceled the previous survey report in July this year. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party had opposed the new poll, with leaders such as Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and BJP MP Tejasvi Surya announcing that they would abstain from participating. The practice was also initially met with resistance by census takers in parts of the state, prompting the government to take disciplinary action against several officials who refused to participate.
(Tags for translation)Karnataka Socio-Economic Survey 2025
