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South Africa by province

South Africa's provinces compared

All 9 provinces side by side: population, literacy, electricity, phones and internet, bank accounts, child deaths and more, from the national household survey.

Map: women who can read by provincePick a measure. Hover over an area for all its figures, or click it for its card below.

93.8 to 94.8
94.8 to 96
96 to 96.4
96.4 to 96.8
96.8 to 99.1
No figure

Provinces ranked

Gauteng has the most peoplePopulation by province, millions, 2020.

View the data as a table

Item	Value
Gauteng	14.76
KwaZulu-Natal	10.42
Western Cape	6.90
Eastern Cape	6.51
Limpopo	5.53
Mpumalanga	4.55
North West	3.89
Free State	2.66
Northern Cape	1.25

Source: Statistics South Africa 2016 Community Survey Population, 2020. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Western Cape leads on women who can readWomen who can read, by province, 2016.

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Item	Value
Western Cape	99.1
Free State	98.6
Limpopo	96.8
KwaZulu-Natal	96.5
Northern Cape	96.4
Gauteng	96.0
Eastern Cape	95.1
Mpumalanga	94.8
North West	93.8

Source: The DHS Program (ICF, USAID), South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Western Cape leads on people with electricity at homePeople with electricity at home, by province, 2016.

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Item	Value
Western Cape	99.1
Limpopo	98.2
Free State	94.3
Northern Cape	92.8
North West	92.6
Gauteng	91.7
KwaZulu-Natal	89.3
Mpumalanga	83.4
Eastern Cape	80.0

Source: The DHS Program (ICF, USAID), South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Limpopo has the lowest child deaths before age fiveChild deaths before age five, per 1,000 births, by province, 2016.

View the data as a table

Item	Value
Mpumalanga	70.0
North West	65.0
Eastern Cape	64.0
Free State	63.0
Northern Cape	51.0
Gauteng	46.0
KwaZulu-Natal	44.0
Western Cape	43.0
Limpopo	34.0

Source: The DHS Program (ICF, USAID), South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Northern Cape has the lowest children stunted (too short for their age)Children stunted (too short for their age), by province, 2016.

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Item	Value
Gauteng	34.2
Free State	33.5
KwaZulu-Natal	28.5
North West	27.4
Eastern Cape	24.8
Western Cape	22.9
Limpopo	21.9
Mpumalanga	21.5
Northern Cape	21.4

Source: The DHS Program (ICF, USAID), South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Gauteng leads on women who own a mobile phoneWomen who own a mobile phone, by province, 2016.

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Item	Value
Gauteng	94.7
Mpumalanga	94.4
Eastern Cape	91.1
Free State	90.4
North West	89.7
KwaZulu-Natal	89.6
Limpopo	89.6
Western Cape	87.9
Northern Cape	82.7

Source: The DHS Program (ICF, USAID), South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Western Cape leads on women who used the internet in the past yearWomen who used the internet in the past year, by province, 2016.

View the data as a table

Item	Value
Western Cape	62.6
Gauteng	57.1
Free State	45.3
KwaZulu-Natal	41.5
North West	41.4
Northern Cape	40.9
Eastern Cape	40.5
Mpumalanga	39.1
Limpopo	35.2

Source: The DHS Program (ICF, USAID), South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Western Cape leads on women with a bank accountWomen with a bank account, by province, 2016.

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Item	Value
Western Cape	65.9
Gauteng	62.0
Mpumalanga	52.8
Free State	52.2
North West	51.7
Eastern Cape	50.3
Northern Cape	47.3
Limpopo	46.8
KwaZulu-Natal	43.1

Source: The DHS Program (ICF, USAID), South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Northern Cape leads on births attended by a skilled providerBirths attended by a skilled provider, by province, 2016.

View the data as a table

Item	Value
Northern Cape	99.1
Free State	98.4
Limpopo	98.4
Gauteng	98.0
Mpumalanga	97.8
Western Cape	97.8
KwaZulu-Natal	97.1
North West	95.7
Eastern Cape	93.2

Source: The DHS Program (ICF, USAID), South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Every province of South Africa, comparedClick a heading to sort. Blank means no figure, or too few survey cases to publish.

Showing 9 of 9

Rank
4	Eastern Cape	6.51	95.1	80.0	64.0	24.8	91.1	40.5	50.3	93.2	70.9	2.9	83.7	93.9
8	Free State	2.66	98.6	94.3	63.0	33.5	90.4	45.3	52.2	98.4	79.5	2.4	90.1	95.9
1	Gauteng	14.76	96.0	91.7	46.0	34.2	94.7	57.1	62.0	98.0	51.9	2.6	91.2	96.3
2	KwaZulu-Natal	10.42	96.5	89.3	44.0	28.5	89.6	41.5	43.1	97.1	62.4	2.5	87.8	97.0
5	Limpopo	5.53	96.8	98.2	34.0	21.9	89.6	35.2	46.8	98.4	66.7	3.1	91.3	87.4
6	Mpumalanga	4.55	94.8	83.4	70.0	21.5	94.4	39.1	52.8	97.8	55.5	3.0	86.7	92.5
7	North West	3.89	93.8	92.6	65.0	27.4	89.7	41.4	51.7	95.7	55.7	3.1	84.6	94.6
9	Northern Cape	1.25	96.4	92.8	51.0	21.4	82.7	40.9	47.3	99.1	75.4	2.7	85.8	96.3
3	Western Cape	6.90	99.1	99.1	43.0	22.9	87.9	62.6	65.9	97.8	67.7	2.1	92.4	96.9

Source: The DHS Program (ICF, USAID), South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Every province at a glance

Eastern Cape6.5 million people (2020)Women who can read: 95.1%, 7th of 9People with electricity at home: 80%, 9th of 9Child deaths before age five, per 1,000 births: 64 per 1,000 births, 7th of 9Children stunted (too short for their age): 24.8%, 5th of 9Women who own a mobile phone: 91.1%, 3rd of 9Women who used the internet in the past year: 40.5%, 7th of 9Women with a bank account: 50.3%, 6th of 9Births attended by a skilled provider: 93.2%, 9th of 9
Free State2.7 million people (2020)Women who can read: 98.6%, 2nd of 9People with electricity at home: 94.3%, 3rd of 9Child deaths before age five, per 1,000 births: 63 per 1,000 births, 6th of 9Children stunted (too short for their age): 33.5%, 8th of 9Women who own a mobile phone: 90.4%, 4th of 9Women who used the internet in the past year: 45.3%, 3rd of 9Women with a bank account: 52.2%, 4th of 9Births attended by a skilled provider: 98.4%, 2nd of 9
Gauteng14.8 million people (2020)Women who can read: 96%, 6th of 9People with electricity at home: 91.7%, 6th of 9Child deaths before age five, per 1,000 births: 46 per 1,000 births, 4th of 9Children stunted (too short for their age): 34.2%, 9th of 9Women who own a mobile phone: 94.7%, 1st of 9Women who used the internet in the past year: 57.1%, 2nd of 9Women with a bank account: 62%, 2nd of 9Births attended by a skilled provider: 98%, 4th of 9
KwaZulu-Natal10.4 million people (2020)Women who can read: 96.5%, 4th of 9People with electricity at home: 89.3%, 7th of 9Child deaths before age five, per 1,000 births: 44 per 1,000 births, 3rd of 9Children stunted (too short for their age): 28.5%, 7th of 9Women who own a mobile phone: 89.6%, 6th of 9Women who used the internet in the past year: 41.5%, 4th of 9Women with a bank account: 43.1%, 9th of 9Births attended by a skilled provider: 97.1%, 7th of 9
Limpopo5.5 million people (2020)Women who can read: 96.8%, 3rd of 9People with electricity at home: 98.2%, 2nd of 9Child deaths before age five, per 1,000 births: 34 per 1,000 births, 1st of 9Children stunted (too short for their age): 21.9%, 3rd of 9Women who own a mobile phone: 89.6%, 7th of 9Women who used the internet in the past year: 35.2%, 9th of 9Women with a bank account: 46.8%, 8th of 9Births attended by a skilled provider: 98.4%, 3rd of 9
Mpumalanga4.5 million people (2020)Women who can read: 94.8%, 8th of 9People with electricity at home: 83.4%, 8th of 9Child deaths before age five, per 1,000 births: 70 per 1,000 births, 9th of 9Children stunted (too short for their age): 21.5%, 2nd of 9Women who own a mobile phone: 94.4%, 2nd of 9Women who used the internet in the past year: 39.1%, 8th of 9Women with a bank account: 52.8%, 3rd of 9Births attended by a skilled provider: 97.8%, 5th of 9
North West3.9 million people (2020)Women who can read: 93.8%, 9th of 9People with electricity at home: 92.6%, 5th of 9Child deaths before age five, per 1,000 births: 65 per 1,000 births, 8th of 9Children stunted (too short for their age): 27.4%, 6th of 9Women who own a mobile phone: 89.7%, 5th of 9Women who used the internet in the past year: 41.4%, 5th of 9Women with a bank account: 51.7%, 5th of 9Births attended by a skilled provider: 95.7%, 8th of 9
Northern Cape1.3 million people (2020)Women who can read: 96.4%, 5th of 9People with electricity at home: 92.8%, 4th of 9Child deaths before age five, per 1,000 births: 51 per 1,000 births, 5th of 9Children stunted (too short for their age): 21.4%, 1st of 9Women who own a mobile phone: 82.7%, 9th of 9Women who used the internet in the past year: 40.9%, 6th of 9Women with a bank account: 47.3%, 7th of 9Births attended by a skilled provider: 99.1%, 1st of 9
Western Cape6.9 million people (2020)Women who can read: 99.1%, 1st of 9People with electricity at home: 99.1%, 1st of 9Child deaths before age five, per 1,000 births: 43 per 1,000 births, 2nd of 9Children stunted (too short for their age): 22.9%, 4th of 9Women who own a mobile phone: 87.9%, 8th of 9Women who used the internet in the past year: 62.6%, 1st of 9Women with a bank account: 65.9%, 1st of 9Births attended by a skilled provider: 97.8%, 6th of 9

South Africa overall, and its neighbours

Nationally, South Africa has 63.1 million people and GDP per person of $6,769 (2025). Everything on South Africa · Literacy in South Africa · Health in South Africa · Inflation and jobs in South Africa · South Africa's economy · Southern Africa compared

Other countries by area: Nigeria's states · Kenya's counties · Ghana's regions

Reading on South Africa

Method, sources and caveats

Survey figures are from the South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016, run by the national statistics office with the DHS Program. They describe the year of the survey. Each province figure rests on a sample of households: we hide figures from fewer than 25 cases and mark those from fewer than 50 as "small sample", as the DHS Program does.
Population is from Statistics South Africa 2016 Community Survey Population (South Africa - Subnational Population Statistics), 2020.
Map outlines from geoBoundaries (OCHA ROSEA, South African Municipal Demarcation Board, 2020), licence Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Intergovernmental Organisations (CC BY 3.0 IGO).
We do not estimate missing figures. Data checked 24 October 2026.

South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016 · Population data · geoBoundaries · Compare South Africa with other countries

Frequently asked questions

How many provinces are there in South Africa?

9 provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape and Western Cape.

Which province of South Africa has the most people?

Gauteng, with about 14.8 million people (2020, Statistics South Africa 2016 Community Survey Population), then KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Eastern Cape.

Which province of South Africa has the highest women who can read?

Western Cape, at 99.1%, followed by Free State (98.6%) and Limpopo (96.8%). The lowest is North West, at 93.8%. Source: South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016.

Which province of South Africa has the highest people with electricity at home?

Western Cape, at 99.1%, followed by Limpopo (98.2%) and Free State (94.3%). The lowest is Eastern Cape, at 80%. Source: South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016.

Which province of South Africa has the lowest child deaths before age five?

Limpopo, at 34 per 1,000 births, followed by Western Cape (43 per 1,000 births) and KwaZulu-Natal (44 per 1,000 births). The highest is Mpumalanga, at 70 per 1,000 births. Source: South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016.

Which province of South Africa has the highest women who used the internet in the past year?

Western Cape, at 62.6%, followed by Gauteng (57.1%) and Free State (45.3%). The lowest is Limpopo, at 35.2%. Source: South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016.