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Municipality profile, FS194

Maluti a Phofung

Maluti a Phofung is a local municipality in Free State. Census 2022 counted 398 459 people in 115 151 households, about 3.5 people per household. That is up 18.7% from 335 784 people in Census 2011. 88.1% of households lived in a formal dwelling and 42.9% had a flush toilet. It has the 3rd largest population of the 19 municipalities in Free State.

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

People counted in Census 2022

398 459

Up 18.7% from 335 784 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

Maluti a Phofung: Census 2011 and Census 2022 figures, with the change
Measure20112022Change
Population335 784398 459+18.7%
Households100 226115 151+14.9%
People per household3.43.5+0.1
Males per 100 females83.986.1+2.2
Aged 0 to 1432.7%28.5%-4.2 pts
Aged 15 to 3436.6%34.8%-1.8 pts
Aged 60 and over7.9%9.9%+2.0 pts
Households in a formal dwelling80.4%88.1%+7.7 pts
Households in an informal dwelling9.1%7.6%-1.5 pts
Households with water from a regional or local scheme89.1%88.2%-0.9 pts
Households with a flush toilet32.7%42.9%+10.2 pts
Households with no toilet2.6%1.6%-1.0 pts
Households cooking with electricity81.2%84.2%+3.0 pts
Households cooking with gas3.2%12.0%+8.8 pts
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)108 045113 419+5.0%

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
184 386
Females
214 074
Males per 100 females
86.1
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)
113 419
The largest age group in Maluti a Phofung in 2022 was aged 15 to 34, at 34.8% of people.
  • Aged 0 to 1428.5%

    32.7% in 2011

  • Aged 15 to 3434.8%

    36.6% in 2011

  • Aged 35 to 5926.8%

    22.8% in 2011

  • Aged 60 and over9.9%

    7.9% 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 115 151 households, with about 3.5 people in each. In 2011 there were 100 226, with about 3.4 people in each.

88.1% of households in Maluti a Phofung lived in a formal dwelling in 2022.
  • Formal dwelling88.1%

    101 408 households

  • Informal dwelling7.6%

    8 806 households

  • Traditional dwelling3.8%

    4 405 households

  • Other0.5%

    531 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

42.9% of households in Maluti a Phofung had a flush toilet in 2022, and 84.2% cooked with electricity.
  • Water from a regional or local scheme88.2%

    101 578 households. 89.1% in 2011.

  • Flush toilet42.9%

    49 423 households. 32.7% in 2011.

  • No toilet1.6%

    1 830 households. 2.6% in 2011.

  • Electricity for cooking84.2%

    96 825 households. 81.2% in 2011.

  • Gas for cooking12.0%

    13 801 households. 3.2% 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
Maluti a Phofung398 459
Average per municipality in Free State156 022Maluti a Phofung has 155.4% more people
Average per municipality in South Africa291 209Maluti a Phofung has 36.8% more people
People per household
Maluti a Phofung3.5
Average per municipality in Free State3.5Maluti a Phofung is about the same
Average per municipality in South Africa3.9Maluti a Phofung has 0.4 fewer people per household
Households in a formal dwelling
Maluti a Phofung88.1%
Average per municipality in Free State87.9%Maluti a Phofung is 0.2 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa87.0%Maluti a Phofung is 1.1 pts higher
Water from a regional or local scheme
Maluti a Phofung88.2%
Average per municipality in Free State89.0%Maluti a Phofung is 0.8 pts lower
Average per municipality in South Africa74.3%Maluti a Phofung is 13.9 pts higher
Households with a flush toilet
Maluti a Phofung42.9%
Average per municipality in Free State82.0%Maluti a Phofung is 39.1 pts lower
Average per municipality in South Africa62.0%Maluti a Phofung is 19.1 pts lower
Electricity for cooking
Maluti a Phofung84.2%
Average per municipality in Free State76.9%Maluti a Phofung is 7.3 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa66.0%Maluti a Phofung is 18.2 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).

  • 42.9% of households had a flush toilet, 39.1 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 Maluti a Phofung's (398 459). 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 Maluti a Phofung: 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.