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Municipality profile, FS161

Letsemeng

Letsemeng is a local municipality in Free State. Census 2022 counted 43 101 people in 10 940 households, about 3.9 people per household. That is up 11.6% from 38 628 people in Census 2011. 84.8% of households lived in a formal dwelling and 82.6% had a flush toilet. It has the 17th largest population of the 19 municipalities in Free State.

Free State. Category B3 in the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Framework.

People counted in Census 2022

43 101

Up 11.6% from 38 628 people in Census 2011.

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, Free State, page 20. Originally released , revised edition. Downloaded . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

Census 2011 and Census 2022

Letsemeng: Census 2011 and Census 2022 figures, with the change
Measure20112022Change
Population38 62843 101+11.6%
Households11 24210 940-2.7%
People per household3.43.9+0.5
Males per 100 females105.795.5-10.2
Aged 0 to 1429.7%28.5%-1.2 pts
Aged 15 to 3435.1%33.8%-1.3 pts
Aged 60 and over8.4%10.6%+2.2 pts
Households in a formal dwelling83.2%84.8%+1.6 pts
Households in an informal dwelling16.1%14.5%-1.6 pts
Households with water from a regional or local scheme80.0%81.9%+1.9 pts
Households with a flush toilet75.5%82.6%+7.1 pts
Households with no toilet5.0%4.2%-0.8 pts
Households cooking with electricity88.3%80.2%-8.1 pts
Households cooking with gas2.6%12.3%+9.7 pts
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)9 0849 830+8.2%

Change is SA Data Hub's calculation from the two figures: a percentage change for counts, and the difference in percentage points (pts) for shares. Cooking shares are of households that named a cooking fuel; Stats SA leaves out “none”.

The 2011 and 2022 figures cover the same area. Stats SA, Census 2022 Municipal fact sheet (Report no. 03-01-82, revised), page 1: “Census 2011 indicators were generated based on aligned census data to current municipal boundaries (2021)”.

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, Free State, page 20; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Free State, page 21; General housing information per municipality (1), Free State, page 22; General housing information per municipality (2), Free State, page 23. Originally released , revised edition. Downloaded . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

See how all municipalities changed between Census 2011 and Census 2022

Compare with another place

Questions people ask: Which province is a municipality in? · Which municipalities grew fastest between Census 2011 and Census 2022? · How many municipalities are there in South Africa?

People

Males
21 056
Females
22 045
Males per 100 females
95.5
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)
9 830
The largest age group in Letsemeng in 2022 was aged 15 to 34, at 33.8% of people.
  • Aged 0 to 1428.5%

    29.7% in 2011

  • Aged 15 to 3433.8%

    35.1% in 2011

  • Aged 35 to 5927.1%

    26.8% in 2011

  • Aged 60 and over10.6%

    8.4% in 2011

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, Free State, page 20; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Free State, page 21. Originally released , revised edition. Downloaded . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

Housing

Census 2022 counted 10 940 households, with about 3.9 people in each. In 2011 there were 11 242, with about 3.4 people in each.

84.8% of households in Letsemeng lived in a formal dwelling in 2022.
  • Formal dwelling84.8%

    9 279 households

  • Informal dwelling14.5%

    1 586 households

  • Traditional dwelling0.3%

    33 households

  • Other0.4%

    43 households

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), General housing information per municipality (1), Free State, page 22. Originally released , revised edition. Downloaded . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

Water, toilets and cooking

82.6% of households in Letsemeng had a flush toilet in 2022, and 80.2% cooked with electricity.
  • Water from a regional or local scheme81.9%

    8 961 households. 80.0% in 2011.

  • Flush toilet82.6%

    9 031 households. 75.5% in 2011.

  • No toilet4.2%

    456 households. 5.0% in 2011.

  • Electricity for cooking80.2%

    8 739 households. 88.3% in 2011.

  • Gas for cooking12.3%

    1 336 households. 2.6% in 2011.

Shares of households. Cooking shares are of households that named a cooking fuel. Water from another source includes boreholes, tankers, rivers and springs.

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), General housing information per municipality (2), Free State, page 23. Originally released , revised edition. Downloaded . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

How it compares

Population, 2022
Letsemeng43 101
Average per municipality in Free State156 022Letsemeng has 72.4% fewer people
Average per municipality in South Africa291 209Letsemeng has 85.2% fewer people
People per household
Letsemeng3.9
Average per municipality in Free State3.5Letsemeng has 0.4 more people per household
Average per municipality in South Africa3.9Letsemeng is about the same
Households in a formal dwelling
Letsemeng84.8%
Average per municipality in Free State87.9%Letsemeng is 3.1 pts lower
Average per municipality in South Africa87.0%Letsemeng is 2.2 pts lower
Water from a regional or local scheme
Letsemeng81.9%
Average per municipality in Free State89.0%Letsemeng is 7.1 pts lower
Average per municipality in South Africa74.3%Letsemeng is 7.6 pts higher
Households with a flush toilet
Letsemeng82.6%
Average per municipality in Free State82.0%Letsemeng is 0.6 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa62.0%Letsemeng is 20.6 pts higher
Electricity for cooking
Letsemeng80.2%
Average per municipality in Free State76.9%Letsemeng is 3.3 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa66.0%Letsemeng is 14.2 pts higher

Each average is the simple mean of the municipal figures, so a small municipality counts as much as a large one. Gaps between shares are in percentage points (pts).

  • 84.8% of households lived in a formal dwelling, 3.1 pts below the average per municipality in Free State.

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, Free State, page 20; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Free State, page 21; General housing information per municipality (1), Free State, page 22; General housing information per municipality (2), Free State, page 23. Originally released , revised edition. Downloaded . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

Similar municipalities

The 4 other municipalities in Free State whose Census 2022 population is closest to Letsemeng's (43 101). Where two are equally close, the lower municipal code comes first.

Sources

Every 2011 and 2022 figure on this page is from Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43, revised edition, originally released 10 October 2023), which gives Census 2011 figures alongside Census 2022 ones. Tables for Letsemeng: Person indicators per municipality, Free State, page 20; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Free State, page 21; General housing information per municipality (1), Free State, page 22; General housing information per municipality (2), Free State, page 23. SA Data Hub checked them against the publication on 28 October 2026.

Changes, shares of the total, averages and similar municipalities are SA Data Hub's own calculations from those figures. Corrections are listed on the updates page.