List of South African provinces by population
Appearance
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] and the most recent mid-year population estimate by Statistics South Africa.[2]
Rank | Province | 2011 census | 2015 mid-year estimate | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | Percentage | Population | Percentage | ||
1 | Gauteng | 12,272,263 | 23.7 | 13,200,300 | 24.0 |
2 | KwaZulu-Natal | 10,267,300 | 19.8 | 10,919,100 | 19.9 |
3 | Eastern Cape | 6,562,053 | 12.7 | 6,916,200 | 12.6 |
4 | Western Cape | 5,822,734 | 11.2 | 6,200,100 | 11.3 |
5 | Limpopo | 5,404,868 | 10.4 | 5,726,800 | 10.4 |
6 | Mpumalanga | 4,039,939 | 7.8 | 4,283,900 | 7.8 |
7 | North West | 3,509,953 | 6.8 | 3,707,100 | 6.7 |
8 | Free State | 2,745,590 | 5.3 | 2,817,900 | 5.1 |
9 | Northern Cape | 1,145,861 | 2.2 | 1,185,600 | 2.2 |
South Africa | 51,770,561 | 100.0 | 54,956,900 | 100.0 |
Historical data
Since the creation of the current provinces in 1994 there have been three censuses, in 1996, 2001 and 2011.
Province | Census 1996[3] | Percentage | Census 2001[3] | 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 | 1.0 | 1,145,861 | 2.2 |
South Africa | 40,583,573 | 100.0 | 44,819,776 | 100.0 | 51,770,561 | 100.0 |
See also
References
- ^ Census 2011: Census in brief (PDF). Pretoria: Statistics South Africa. 2012. p. 18. ISBN 9780621413885.
- ^ Mid-year population estimates, 2015 (PDF) (Report). Statistics South Africa. 31 July 2015. p. 3. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ a b Census 2001: Census in brief (PDF). Statistics South Africa. 2003. p. 6. ISBN 0-621-34293-9. Retrieved 15 January 2011.