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Municipality profile, LIM354

Polokwane

Polokwane is a local municipality in Limpopo. Census 2022 counted 843 459 people in 249 443 households, about 3.4 people per household. That is up 15.8% from 728 633 people in Census 2011. 95.0% of households lived in a formal dwelling and 48.3% had a flush toilet. It has the largest population of the 22 municipalities in Limpopo.

Limpopo. Category B1 in the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Framework.

People counted in Census 2022

843 459

Up 15.8% from 728 633 people in Census 2011.

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, Limpopo, page 44. 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

Polokwane: Census 2011 and Census 2022 figures, with the change
Measure20112022Change
Population728 633843 459+15.8%
Households203 605249 443+22.5%
People per household3.63.4-0.2
Males per 100 females91.193.2+2.1
Aged 0 to 1431.1%28.1%-3.0 pts
Aged 15 to 3438.0%34.7%-3.3 pts
Aged 60 and over8.2%10.1%+1.9 pts
Households in a formal dwelling90.2%95.0%+4.8 pts
Households in an informal dwelling8.3%3.5%-4.8 pts
Households with water from a regional or local scheme81.6%75.1%-6.5 pts
Households with a flush toilet38.6%48.3%+9.7 pts
Households with no toilet3.1%1.3%-1.8 pts
Households cooking with electricity69.0%68.8%-0.2 pts
Households cooking with gas2.6%19.5%+16.9 pts
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)235 009224 479-4.5%

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, Limpopo, page 44; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Limpopo, page 45; General housing information per municipality (1), Limpopo, page 46; General housing information per municipality (2), Limpopo, page 47. 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
406 945
Females
436 514
Males per 100 females
93.2
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)
224 479
The largest age group in Polokwane in 2022 was aged 15 to 34, at 34.7% of people.
  • Aged 0 to 1428.1%

    31.1% in 2011

  • Aged 15 to 3434.7%

    38.0% in 2011

  • Aged 35 to 5927.0%

    22.7% in 2011

  • Aged 60 and over10.1%

    8.2% in 2011

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, Limpopo, page 44; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Limpopo, page 45. 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 249 443 households, with about 3.4 people in each. In 2011 there were 203 605, with about 3.6 people in each.

95.0% of households in Polokwane lived in a formal dwelling in 2022.
  • Formal dwelling95.0%

    236 941 households

  • Informal dwelling3.5%

    8 613 households

  • Traditional dwelling1.3%

    3 140 households

  • Other0.3%

    750 households

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), General housing information per municipality (1), Limpopo, page 46. 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

48.3% of households in Polokwane had a flush toilet in 2022, and 68.8% cooked with electricity.
  • Water from a regional or local scheme75.1%

    187 267 households. 81.6% in 2011.

  • Flush toilet48.3%

    120 397 households. 38.6% in 2011.

  • No toilet1.3%

    3 284 households. 3.1% in 2011.

  • Electricity for cooking68.8%

    171 359 households. 69.0% in 2011.

  • Gas for cooking19.5%

    48 705 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), Limpopo, page 47. 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
Polokwane843 459
Average per municipality in Limpopo298 760Polokwane has 182.3% more people
Average per municipality in South Africa291 209Polokwane has 189.6% more people
People per household
Polokwane3.4
Average per municipality in Limpopo3.5Polokwane has 0.1 fewer people per household
Average per municipality in South Africa3.9Polokwane has 0.5 fewer people per household
Households in a formal dwelling
Polokwane95.0%
Average per municipality in Limpopo93.9%Polokwane is 1.1 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa87.0%Polokwane is 8.0 pts higher
Water from a regional or local scheme
Polokwane75.1%
Average per municipality in Limpopo59.8%Polokwane is 15.3 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa74.3%Polokwane is 0.8 pts higher
Households with a flush toilet
Polokwane48.3%
Average per municipality in Limpopo38.9%Polokwane is 9.4 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa62.0%Polokwane is 13.7 pts lower
Electricity for cooking
Polokwane68.8%
Average per municipality in Limpopo48.1%Polokwane is 20.7 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa66.0%Polokwane is 2.8 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).

  • 48.3% of households had a flush toilet, 9.4 pts above the average per municipality in Limpopo.

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, Limpopo, page 44; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Limpopo, page 45; General housing information per municipality (1), Limpopo, page 46; General housing information per municipality (2), Limpopo, page 47. 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 Limpopo whose Census 2022 population is closest to Polokwane's (843 459). 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 Polokwane: Person indicators per municipality, Limpopo, page 44; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Limpopo, page 45; General housing information per municipality (1), Limpopo, page 46; General housing information per municipality (2), Limpopo, page 47. 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.