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Municipality profile, WC034

Swellendam

Swellendam is a local municipality in Western Cape. Census 2022 counted 47 114 people in 15 477 households, about 3.0 people per household. That is up 31.2% from 35 916 people in Census 2011. 90.9% of households lived in a formal dwelling and 96.0% had a flush toilet. It has the 21st largest population of the 25 municipalities in Western Cape.

Western Cape. Category B3 in the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Framework.

People counted in Census 2022

47 114

Up 31.2% from 35 916 people in Census 2011.

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, Western Cape, page 6. 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

Swellendam: Census 2011 and Census 2022 figures, with the change
Measure20112022Change
Population35 91647 114+31.2%
Households10 13915 477+52.6%
People per household3.53.0-0.5
Males per 100 females99.399.0-0.3
Aged 0 to 1426.1%21.8%-4.3 pts
Aged 15 to 3432.1%33.6%+1.5 pts
Aged 60 and over10.9%12.5%+1.6 pts
Households in a formal dwelling88.3%90.9%+2.6 pts
Households in an informal dwelling9.9%8.3%-1.6 pts
Households with water from a regional or local scheme76.5%89.4%+12.9 pts
Households with a flush toilet85.7%96.0%+10.3 pts
Households with no toilet3.1%0.6%-2.5 pts
Households cooking with electricity85.4%61.5%-23.9 pts
Households cooking with gas8.1%35.3%+27.2 pts
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)7 3058 374+14.6%

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, Western Cape, page 6; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Western Cape, page 7; General housing information per municipality (1), Western Cape, page 8; General housing information per municipality (2), Western Cape, page 9. 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
23 436
Females
23 678
Males per 100 females
99.0
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)
8 374
The largest age group in Swellendam in 2022 was aged 15 to 34, at 33.6% of people.
  • Aged 0 to 1421.8%

    26.1% in 2011

  • Aged 15 to 3433.6%

    32.1% in 2011

  • Aged 35 to 5932.1%

    30.8% in 2011

  • Aged 60 and over12.5%

    10.9% in 2011

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, Western Cape, page 6; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Western Cape, page 7. 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 15 477 households, with about 3.0 people in each. In 2011 there were 10 139, with about 3.5 people in each.

90.9% of households in Swellendam lived in a formal dwelling in 2022.
  • Formal dwelling90.9%

    14 064 households

  • Informal dwelling8.3%

    1 281 households

  • Traditional dwelling0.6%

    100 households

  • Other0.2%

    31 households

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), General housing information per municipality (1), Western Cape, page 8. 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

96.0% of households in Swellendam had a flush toilet in 2022, and 61.5% cooked with electricity.
  • Water from a regional or local scheme89.4%

    13 841 households. 76.5% in 2011.

  • Flush toilet96.0%

    14 851 households. 85.7% in 2011.

  • No toilet0.6%

    98 households. 3.1% in 2011.

  • Electricity for cooking61.5%

    9 475 households. 85.4% in 2011.

  • Gas for cooking35.3%

    5 445 households. 8.1% 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), Western Cape, page 9. 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
Swellendam47 114
Average per municipality in Western Cape297 321Swellendam has 84.2% fewer people
Average per municipality in South Africa291 209Swellendam has 83.8% fewer people
People per household
Swellendam3.0
Average per municipality in Western Cape3.3Swellendam has 0.3 fewer people per household
Average per municipality in South Africa3.9Swellendam has 0.9 fewer people per household
Households in a formal dwelling
Swellendam90.9%
Average per municipality in Western Cape89.7%Swellendam is 1.2 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa87.0%Swellendam is 3.9 pts higher
Water from a regional or local scheme
Swellendam89.4%
Average per municipality in Western Cape91.9%Swellendam is 2.5 pts lower
Average per municipality in South Africa74.3%Swellendam is 15.1 pts higher
Households with a flush toilet
Swellendam96.0%
Average per municipality in Western Cape94.5%Swellendam is 1.5 pts higher
Average per municipality in South Africa62.0%Swellendam is 34.0 pts higher
Electricity for cooking
Swellendam61.5%
Average per municipality in Western Cape65.9%Swellendam is 4.4 pts lower
Average per municipality in South Africa66.0%Swellendam is 4.5 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, Western Cape, page 6; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Western Cape, page 7; General housing information per municipality (1), Western Cape, page 8; General housing information per municipality (2), Western Cape, page 9. 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 Western Cape whose Census 2022 population is closest to Swellendam's (47 114). 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 Swellendam: Person indicators per municipality, Western Cape, page 6; Distribution of population by broad age groups, Western Cape, page 7; General housing information per municipality (1), Western Cape, page 8; General housing information per municipality (2), Western Cape, page 9. 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.