Since the election of 27 April 1994, South Africa has been divided into nine provinces. They vary widely in population, from the mostly-urban Gauteng, which contains over 20% of the national population, to the mostly-desert Northern Cape, which contains less than 3%. The following table shows the provincial populations according to the 2011 National Census, [1] the 2016 Community Survey, [2] and the most recent 2022 Census. [3]
Rank | Province | Census 2011 | 2016 community survey | Census 2022 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | Percentage | Population | Percentage | Population | Percentage | ||
1 | Gauteng | 12,272,263 | 23.7 | 13,399,724 | 24.1 | 15,099,422 | 24.3 |
2 | KwaZulu-Natal | 10,267,300 | 19.8 | 11,065,240 | 19.9 | 12,423,907 | 20.0 |
3 | Western Cape | 5,822,734 | 11.2 | 6,279,730 | 11.3 | 7,433,019 | 12.0 |
4 | Eastern Cape | 6,562,053 | 12.7 | 6,996,976 | 12.6 | 7,230,204 | 11.6 |
5 | Limpopo | 5,404,868 | 10.4 | 5,799,090 | 10.4 | 6,572,720 | 10.6 |
6 | Mpumalanga | 4,039,939 | 7.8 | 4,335,964 | 7.8 | 5,143,324 | 8.3 |
7 | North West | 3,509,953 | 6.8 | 3,748,435 | 6.7 | 3,804,548 | 6.1 |
8 | Free State | 2,745,590 | 5.3 | 2,834,714 | 5.1 | 2,964,412 | 4.8 |
9 | Northern Cape | 1,145,861 | 2.2 | 1,193,780 | 2.1 | 1,355,946 | 2.2 |
South Africa | 51,770,561 | 100.0 | 55,653,654 | 100.0 | 62,027,503 | 100.0 |
Since the creation of the current provinces in 1994 there have been three censuses, in 1996, 2001 and 2011.
Province | Census 1996 [4] | Percentage | Census 2001 [4] | Percentage | Census 2011 | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gauteng | 7,348,423 | 18.1 | 8,837,178 | 19.7 | 12,272,263 | 23.7 |
KwaZulu-Natal | 8,417,021 | 20.7 | 9,426,017 | 21.0 | 10,267,300 | 19.8 |
Eastern Cape | 6,302,525 | 15.5 | 6,436,763 | 14.4 | 6,562,053 | 12.7 |
Western Cape | 3,956,875 | 9.7 | 4,524,335 | 10.1 | 5,822,734 | 11.2 |
Limpopo | 4,929,368 | 12.1 | 5,273,642 | 11.8 | 5,404,868 | 10.4 |
Mpumalanga | 2,800,711 | 6.9 | 3,122,990 | 7.0 | 4,039,939 | 7.8 |
North West | 3,354,825 | 8.3 | 3,669,349 | 8.2 | 3,509,953 | 6.8 |
Free State | 2,633,504 | 6.5 | 2,706,775 | 6.0 | 2,745,590 | 5.3 |
Northern Cape | 840,321 | 2.1 | 822,727 | 1.8 | 1,145,861 | 2.2 |
South Africa | 40,583,573 | 100.0 | 44,819,776 | 100.0 | 51,770,561 | 100.0 |
South Africa is divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the 1994 general election, South Africa's former homelands, known as Bantustans, were reintegrated into the country, and the four provinces were increased to nine. The borders of Natal and the Orange Free State were retained, while the Cape Province and Transvaal were divided into three provinces each, plus North West Province which straddles the border of and contains territory from both these two former provinces. The twelfth, thirteenth and sixteenth amendments to the Constitution of South Africa changed the borders of seven of the provinces.
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