Background

Census 2022 was the fourth census after the advent of democracy, with the other three being conducted in 1996, 2001 and 2011. This was the first-ever digital census in South Africa. Census information was collected via a digital questionnaire, using three modes of collection: Computer-assisted Personal Interview (CAPI), where fieldworkers visited households and conducted the interview using a hand-held device; Computer-assisted Telephone Interview (CATI), where households were interviewed telephonically; and Computer-assisted Web Interview (CAWI), where the public was able to complete the questionnaire via the internet.

A population and housing census is the foremost exercise in the ten-year cycle of the statistical programme of a country, presenting an opportunity to obtain data on key demographic indicators such as population size and composition, households and their living circumstances, and geographical distribution across the country. It provides the population denominators for basic health and socio-economic indicators, and forms the basis for revising population estimates and projections.

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) is mandated by the Statistics Act,1999 (Act No. 6 of 1999) to collect data for official statistics and to conduct a census.

Census 2022 data collection started on census reference night, 02 February 2022, and ended in May 2022 with provinces finishing data collection at different times. Censuses in South Africa were traditionally conducted in October but, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the census had to be postponed to February 2022. Census 2022 was affected by unprecedented challenges, including riots, ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns and climate change issues such as flooding in some parts of the country.

Data quality assurance processes were built into all census phases, including in-built validation rules in data collection instruments and fieldwork monitoring throughout the enumeration period. A post-enumeration survey – which is an independent survey conducted for the evaluation of the census – was done immediately after completion of census enumeration. Additionally, an independent assessment of Census 2022 was conducted by a team of pre-eminent and independent local and international statistical experts under the guidance of the Statistics Council. The Statistics Council has recommended to the Minister in the Presidency and the Statistician-General that the Census 2022 is ‘Fit for Purpose’ and that the results of the census will be useful for planning government service delivery.

Population

The Census 2022 results show that the population of South Africa was 62 million in 2022, increasing from 51,7 million in 2011. This represents an average annual growth rate of 1,8% between the two periods, which is the largest since 1996. Gauteng remained the province with the highest population (15 million), while Northern Cape has the smallest population at 1,3 million. About 56% of the country’s population lives in three provinces, namely Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. The Western Cape has moved from being the 5th-largest province in terms of population size in 1996 to being the 3rd largest in 2022.

Black Africans remain the dominant population group (81,4%), followed by coloureds at 8,2%, whites at 7,3% and Indians/Asians at 2,7%. There has been a steady decline in the proportion of the white population, from 11% in 1996 to 7,3% in 2022.

Migration

Over the intercensal period, 2011 to 2022, the results show that five provinces gained population from other provinces, while four showed a loss of population. The five provinces with positive net migration are the following: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga.

Educational enrolment and attainment

There were more than 3 million children aged 0–4 years who participated in Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes. The Western Cape (69,5%) and Gauteng (66%) showed the highest percentage of children attending ECD facilities. Children in Northern Cape (56,7%) and North West (52,4%) were more likely not to participate in ECD programmes when compared to their counterparts in other provinces.

The Census 2022 results show that the percentage of persons aged 5–24 years attending an educational institution increased by only 3% from 70,1% in 1996 to 73,4% in 2022. The biggest increase was observed in the Free State, from 73,1% to 76,8% between 2011 and 2022.

Also important is that the black African and coloured populations tend to be concentrated in the secondary education level, which may suggest higher dropout rates and limited progression to tertiary education. Conversely, the white and Indian/Asian population groups are more likely to be concentrated in the completed secondary school and post-secondary education levels.

In terms of post-school education, the results show that disparities primarily exist among different population groups. For instance, regardless of sex, the white population group

reported the highest percentage of post-school educational attainment, followed by the Indian/Asian population with half as much as that for the white population group. However, notable sex differences appear, primarily within the black African and coloured population groups. Both groups show lower levels of post-school education, and these levels are nearly comparable between the two population groups. The post-school enrolment rate for both males and females among the black African and coloured population groups is below the national average of 11,5%. In contrast, the post-school enrolment rate is nearly double for Indians/Asians and four times higher for whites.

Housing

Census 2022 recorded 17,8 million households in South Africa, an increase from 14 million in 2011, and almost double the 9 million households recorded in 1996.

Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal accounted for just under 50% of all households in the country, with 5,3 million and 2,9 million households respectively. The Northern Cape was the province with the fewest households at about 330 000.

The number of households who reside in informal dwellings has declined from 13,6% in 2011 to 8,1% in 2022; furthermore, households residing in formal dwelling units increased to 88,5%, an increase from the 65,1% recorded in 1996.

Household headship is almost evenly split between males and females. Female headship in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Limpopo is higher than the national average, with 53,1%, 51,9% and 51,6% female-headed households respectively.

Access to basic services

Access to basic services has generally shown an upward trend from 2001 to 2022. Over 80% of households in the country had access to piped water, either inside their dwellings or inside their yards. The proportion of households relying on piped water sources outside of yards or community stands has decreased over time. In 1996, 19,6% of households relied on such sources, but by 2022 this figure had fallen to 8,9%.

However, it is important to note that certain regions, specifically Eastern Cape (19,5%) and Limpopo (20,5%), still face challenges in accessing piped water. Moreover, households depending on water vendors or tankers as their primary water source showed an increase from 1,9% in 2001 to 5,8% in 2022.

The Western Cape (93,9%) and Gauteng (89,7%) showed the highest levels of access to flush toilets. The Northern Cape still contends with 4,5% of households using bucket toilets as their primary toilet facility. KwaZulu-Natal shows a mix, with 58,9% using flush toilets, 28,5% using pit latrines, and 7% using chemical toilets. In the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape, 4,5% and 3% of households, respectively, reported having no toilet facilities. The majority of the households in Limpopo, i.e. more than half (57,9%), used a pit latrine with/without ventilation pipe as their main type of toilet facility.

The results also recorded an upward trend in households whose refuse was removed at least once a week by a local authority/private service, with an increase from 52,1% in Census 1996 to 66,3% in Census 2022.

Households in the Western Cape (88,7%) and Gauteng (85,0%) were more likely to have their refuse removed regularly (at least once a week), in contrast with the remaining seven provinces which recorded percentages below the national average (66,3%). Limpopo recorded the lowest percentage (32,0%) of households with regular refuse removal services (at least once a week).

More than 90% of households had access to electricity for lighting, a substantial increase from the 58% recorded in 1996. The provinces with the largest proportion of access to electricity were Western Cape (96,5%), KwaZulu-Natal (96,7%) and Limpopo (95,5%), which all had slightly higher proportions than the national average of 94,7%.

Ends.

Note to editors:

About Census and how data will be disseminated

Census data will be disseminated in phases. Phase 1, which launches on 10 October 2023, will give users access to a range of indicators at national, provincial and municipal level. Phase 2 will include electronic products such as the Community Profiles and more in-depth reports on particular themes.

Issued by Statistics South Africa

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