Municipality profile, KZN226

Mkhambathini

Mkhambathini is a local municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. Census 2022 counted 61 660 people in 12 861 households, about 4.8 people per household. That is down 4.4% from 64 528 people in Census 2011. 80.3% of households lived in a formal dwelling and 25.3% had a flush toilet. It has the 41st largest population of the 44 municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal.

KwaZulu-Natal. Category B3 in the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Framework.

People counted in Census 2022

61 660

Down 4.4% from 64 528 people in Census 2011.

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, page 24. Originally released 10 October 2023, revised edition. Downloaded 27 October 2026. Checked on SA Data Hub 28 October 2026. Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

Census 2011 and Census 2022

Mkhambathini: Census 2011 and Census 2022 figures, with the change
Measure	2011	2022	Change
Population	64 528	61 660	-4.4%
Households	16 807	12 861	-23.5%
People per household	3.8	4.8	+1.0
Males per 100 females	94.1	90.1	-4.0
Aged 0 to 14	30.5%	27.0%	-3.5 pts
Aged 15 to 34	39.1%	36.1%	-3.0 pts
Aged 60 and over	7.4%	9.0%	+1.6 pts
Households in a formal dwelling	54.8%	80.3%	+25.5 pts
Households in an informal dwelling	4.7%	2.2%	-2.5 pts
Households with water from a regional or local scheme	42.4%	57.3%	+14.9 pts
Households with a flush toilet	20.9%	25.3%	+4.4 pts
Households with no toilet	8.6%	2.6%	-6.0 pts
Households cooking with electricity	57.7%	78.8%	+21.1 pts
Households cooking with gas	3.8%	14.6%	+10.8 pts
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)	17 353	14 484	-16.5%

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, KwaZulu-Natal, page 24; Distribution of population by broad age groups, KwaZulu-Natal, page 26; General housing information per municipality (1), KwaZulu-Natal, page 28; General housing information per municipality (2), KwaZulu-Natal, page 30. Originally released 10 October 2023, revised edition. Downloaded 27 October 2026. Checked on SA Data Hub 28 October 2026. 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: 29 229
Females: 32 432
Males per 100 females: 90.1
Attending school (ages 5 to 24): 14 484

The largest age group in Mkhambathini in 2022 was aged 15 to 34, at 36.1% of people.

Aged 0 to 1427.0%
30.5% in 2011
Aged 15 to 3436.1%
39.1% in 2011
Aged 35 to 5928.0%
23.0% in 2011
Aged 60 and over9.0%
7.4% in 2011

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, page 24; Distribution of population by broad age groups, KwaZulu-Natal, page 26. Originally released 10 October 2023, revised edition. Downloaded 27 October 2026. Checked on SA Data Hub 28 October 2026. Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

Housing

Census 2022 counted 12 861 households, with about 4.8 people in each. In 2011 there were 16 807, with about 3.8 people in each.

80.3% of households in Mkhambathini lived in a formal dwelling in 2022.

Formal dwelling80.3%
10 330 households
Informal dwelling2.2%
288 households
Traditional dwelling17.2%
2 208 households
Other0.3%
35 households

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), General housing information per municipality (1), KwaZulu-Natal, page 28. Originally released 10 October 2023, revised edition. Downloaded 27 October 2026. Checked on SA Data Hub 28 October 2026. Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

Water, toilets and cooking

25.3% of households in Mkhambathini had a flush toilet in 2022, and 78.8% cooked with electricity.

Water from a regional or local scheme57.3%
7 370 households. 42.4% in 2011.
Flush toilet25.3%
3 250 households. 20.9% in 2011.
No toilet2.6%
336 households. 8.6% in 2011.
Electricity for cooking78.8%
10 055 households. 57.7% in 2011.
Gas for cooking14.6%
1 860 households. 3.8% 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), KwaZulu-Natal, page 30. Originally released 10 October 2023, revised edition. Downloaded 27 October 2026. Checked on SA Data Hub 28 October 2026. Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

How it compares

Population, 2022: Mkhambathini61 660; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal282 362Mkhambathini has 78.2% fewer people; Average per municipality in South Africa291 209Mkhambathini has 78.8% fewer people
People per household: Mkhambathini4.8; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal5.0Mkhambathini has 0.2 fewer people per household; Average per municipality in South Africa3.9Mkhambathini has 0.9 more people per household
Households in a formal dwelling: Mkhambathini80.3%; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal81.7%Mkhambathini is 1.4 pts lower; Average per municipality in South Africa87.0%Mkhambathini is 6.7 pts lower
Water from a regional or local scheme: Mkhambathini57.3%; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal60.4%Mkhambathini is 3.1 pts lower; Average per municipality in South Africa74.3%Mkhambathini is 17.0 pts lower
Households with a flush toilet: Mkhambathini25.3%; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal38.4%Mkhambathini is 13.1 pts lower; Average per municipality in South Africa62.0%Mkhambathini is 36.7 pts lower
Electricity for cooking: Mkhambathini78.8%; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal67.0%Mkhambathini is 11.8 pts higher; Average per municipality in South Africa66.0%Mkhambathini is 12.8 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).

25.3% of households had a flush toilet, 13.1 pts below the average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.

Similar municipalities

The 4 other municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal whose Census 2022 population is closest to Mkhambathini's (61 660). 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 Mkhambathini: Person indicators per municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, page 24; Distribution of population by broad age groups, KwaZulu-Natal, page 26; General housing information per municipality (1), KwaZulu-Natal, page 28; General housing information per municipality (2), KwaZulu-Natal, page 30. 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.