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Municipality profile, FS204

Metsimaholo

Metsimaholo is a local municipality in Free State. Census 2022 counted 158 391 people in 49 060 households, about 3.2 people per household. That is up 6.2% from 149 108 people in Census 2011. 88.3% of households lived in a formal dwelling and 83.9% had a flush toilet. It has the 4th largest population of the 19 municipalities in Free State.

Free State. Category B2 in the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Framework.

People counted in Census 2022

158 391

Up 6.2% from 149 108 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

Metsimaholo: Census 2011 and Census 2022 figures, with the change
Measure20112022Change
Population149 108158 391+6.2%
Households45 75249 060+7.2%
People per household3.33.2-0.1
Males per 100 females108.697.0-11.6
Aged 0 to 1426.3%25.3%-1.0 pts
Aged 15 to 3439.0%33.2%-5.8 pts
Aged 60 and over7.0%10.0%+3.0 pts
Households in a formal dwelling83.9%88.3%+4.4 pts
Households in an informal dwelling14.3%10.9%-3.4 pts
Households with water from a regional or local scheme95.6%94.2%-1.4 pts
Households with a flush toilet75.5%83.9%+8.4 pts
Households with no toilet1.3%0.9%-0.4 pts
Households cooking with electricity83.3%64.3%-19.0 pts
Households cooking with gas6.3%30.6%+24.3 pts
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)35 50338 730+9.1%

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
77 992
Females
80 399
Males per 100 females
97.0
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)
38 730
The largest age group in Metsimaholo in 2022 was aged 15 to 34, at 33.2% of people.
  • Aged 0 to 1425.3%

    26.3% in 2011

  • Aged 15 to 3433.2%

    39.0% in 2011

  • Aged 35 to 5931.6%

    27.7% in 2011

  • Aged 60 and over10.0%

    7.0% 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 49 060 households, with about 3.2 people in each. In 2011 there were 45 752, with about 3.3 people in each.

88.3% of households in Metsimaholo lived in a formal dwelling in 2022.
  • Formal dwelling88.3%

    43 311 households

  • Informal dwelling10.9%

    5 364 households

  • Traditional dwelling0.4%

    215 households

  • Other0.3%

    170 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

83.9% of households in Metsimaholo had a flush toilet in 2022, and 64.3% cooked with electricity.
  • Water from a regional or local scheme94.2%

    46 238 households. 95.6% in 2011.

  • Flush toilet83.9%

    41 184 households. 75.5% in 2011.

  • No toilet0.9%

    459 households. 1.3% in 2011.

  • Electricity for cooking64.3%

    31 468 households. 83.3% in 2011.

  • Gas for cooking30.6%

    14 989 households. 6.3% 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
Metsimaholo158 391
Average per municipality in Free State156 022Metsimaholo has 1.5% more people
Average per municipality in South Africa291 209Metsimaholo has 45.6% fewer people
People per household
Metsimaholo3.2
Average per municipality in Free State3.5Metsimaholo has 0.3 fewer people per household
Average per municipality in South Africa3.9Metsimaholo has 0.7 fewer people per household
Households in a formal dwelling
Metsimaholo88.3%
Average per municipality in Free State87.9%Metsimaholo is 0.4 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa87.0%Metsimaholo is 1.3 pts higher
Water from a regional or local scheme
Metsimaholo94.2%
Average per municipality in Free State89.0%Metsimaholo is 5.2 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa74.3%Metsimaholo is 19.9 pts higher
Households with a flush toilet
Metsimaholo83.9%
Average per municipality in Free State82.0%Metsimaholo is 1.9 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa62.0%Metsimaholo is 21.9 pts higher
Electricity for cooking
Metsimaholo64.3%
Average per municipality in Free State76.9%Metsimaholo is 12.6 pts lower
Average per municipality in South Africa66.0%Metsimaholo is 1.7 pts lower

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).

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 Metsimaholo's (158 391). 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 Metsimaholo: 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.