Provinces
Unemployment and population for South Africa's nine provinces. In the second quarter of 2026 the official unemployment rate ran from 19.5% in Western Cape to 47.5% in Eastern Cape.
Unemployment by province
- Eastern Cape47.5%
Up 2.9 pts from Q1 2026
- North West38.1%
Up 2.8 pts from Q1 2026
- Free State37.3%
Down 0.5 pts from Q1 2026
- Mpumalanga36.6%
Up 0.3 pts from Q1 2026
- Gauteng34.6%
Up 0.5 pts from Q1 2026
- KwaZulu-Natal32.5%
Up 1.3 pts from Q1 2026
- Limpopo32.0%
Up 0.3 pts from Q1 2026
- Northern Cape28.7%
Down 1.7 pts from Q1 2026
- Western Cape19.5%
Down 0.1 pts from Q1 2026
The line under each bar is the change from Q1 2026, in percentage points (pts), as published.
Source: Stats SA, Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Quarter 2: 2026 (P0211), Table E, page 7. Source released . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.
All provinces
| Province | Unemployment, Q2 2026 | LU3, Q2 2026 | People, 2026 estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Cape | 47.5%+2.9 pts | 54.1% | 7 031 109 |
| Free State | 37.3%-0.5 pts | 44.0% | 3 060 972 |
| Gauteng | 34.6%+0.5 pts | 40.5% | 16 295 325 |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 32.5%+1.3 pts | 47.8% | 12 282 836 |
| Limpopo | 32.0%+0.3 pts | 46.7% | 6 358 667 |
| Mpumalanga | 36.6%+0.3 pts | 48.3% | 5 161 746 |
| North West | 38.1%+2.8 pts | 56.0% | 4 227 795 |
| Northern Cape | 28.7%-1.7 pts | 47.1% | 1 381 772 |
| Western Cape | 19.5%-0.1 pts | 26.1% | 7 722 158 |
LU3 is Stats SA's combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force. It is a different measure from the official rate. Population figures are estimates for mid-2026 and are not comparable with the Census 2022 counts on municipality pages.
Source: Stats SA, Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Quarter 2: 2026 (P0211), Table E, page 7. Source released . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.
Source: Stats SA, Mid-year population estimates, 2026 (P0302), Appendix 1, page 27. Source released . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.
Housing and services by province
Census 2022 shares of households, with the Census 2011 share for comparison. These are census counts, not the 2026 estimates used for population above.
Households in a formal dwelling
- Limpopo94.7%
89.8% in 2011
- Mpumalanga92.2%
83.8% in 2011
- Free State88.5%
81.1% in 2011
- Gauteng88.5%
79.8% in 2011
- Western Cape88.0%
80.4% in 2011
- North West88.0%
76.2% in 2011
- KwaZulu-Natal86.8%
71.6% in 2011
- Northern Cape85.9%
82.4% in 2011
- Eastern Cape83.6%
63.2% in 2011
Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), General housing information per municipality (1), province rows, pages 8, 13, 18, 22, 28, 34, 38, 42, 46. Source released . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.
Water from a regional or local scheme
- Western Cape95.7%
92.5% in 2011
- Gauteng94.4%
93.9% in 2011
- Free State91.9%
90.1% in 2011
- Northern Cape86.6%
83.1% in 2011
- KwaZulu-Natal78.1%
71.6% in 2011
- Mpumalanga77.1%
74.3% in 2011
- North West76.2%
74.3% in 2011
- Eastern Cape67.0%
62.2% in 2011
- Limpopo58.5%
62.7% in 2011
Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), General housing information per municipality (2), province rows, pages 9, 15, 19, 23, 30, 35, 39, 43, 47. Source released . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.
Households with a flush toilet
- Western Cape93.9%
89.6% in 2011
- Gauteng89.7%
85.4% in 2011
- Free State76.3%
67.1% in 2011
- Northern Cape73.0%
66.0% in 2011
- KwaZulu-Natal58.9%
45.0% in 2011
- Eastern Cape58.7%
43.0% in 2011
- North West58.5%
45.4% in 2011
- Mpumalanga54.9%
43.8% in 2011
- Limpopo35.2%
21.9% in 2011
Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), General housing information per municipality (2), province rows, pages 9, 15, 19, 23, 30, 35, 39, 43, 47. Source released . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.
Cooking with electricity
- Free State78.7%
84.6% in 2011
- Northern Cape72.3%
78.3% in 2011
- KwaZulu-Natal72.1%
68.8% in 2011
- North West69.9%
75.5% in 2011
- Mpumalanga66.7%
69.5% in 2011
- Eastern Cape65.1%
62.2% in 2011
- Western Cape64.1%
87.2% in 2011
- Gauteng62.8%
84.0% in 2011
- Limpopo49.4%
50.1% in 2011
Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), General housing information per municipality (2), province rows, pages 9, 15, 19, 23, 30, 35, 39, 43, 47. Source released . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.
Each share is SA Data Hub's calculation: a category divided by the sum of the categories in the table. Cooking shares leave out households that named no fuel, as Stats SA does. GDP share and matric results are not shown until their releases are added.
Compare two provinces
| Measure | Gauteng | Western Cape |
|---|---|---|
| Official unemployment rate, Q2 2026 | 34.6% | 19.5% |
| Change from Q1 2026 | +0.5 pts | -0.1 pts |
| LU3, Q2 2026 | 40.5% | 26.1% |
| People, 2026 estimate | 16 295 325 | 7 722 158 |
Source: Stats SA, Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Quarter 2: 2026 (P0211), Table E, page 7. Source released . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.
Source: Stats SA, Mid-year population estimates, 2026 (P0302), Appendix 1, page 27. Source released . Checked on SA Data Hub . Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.