The South African National Census of 2022 is the 4th comprehensive census performed by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).[1] The census results were released on 10 October 2023 and recorded a total of 62 million people in the country.[2][3]
The first reports of statistics, published on 10 October 2023, showed a total population of 62,027,503.[4]
81,4% of the population is black African. The median age of the total population is 28 years.[4]
The census taking period was extended in the Western Cape province to 14 May 2022 after it was announced that only 58% of the province's population had participated in it by late April that year;[8] whilst around 80% of the country's whole population had been surveyed by the same date.[8] The deadline was extended a second time in the Western Cape to 31 May as only 78% of the province's population had been counted by the end of the first extension period.[9]
The issue of under-counting in the Western Cape Province was a serious issue of concern for the Western Cape Provincial government as it might result in fewer resources being allocated to the province by national government on a per-capita basis relative to the rest of the country.[8]
Stats SA reported particular difficulty in getting an accurate census count of both white and coloured residents which accounted for the low census participation rate in the Western Cape province.[10] In the Western Cape census workers reported difficulty in contacting households with high walls - thereby preventing many surveys from being conducted - whilst other households refused to participate in the census.[11] Other problems encountered by Stats SA in the province included not being able to hire enough census workers or being able to secure enough vehicles.[11]
After the publication of the census results it was reported that the undercount rate was 31%[12] with the undercount rate being the highest in the Western Cape.[6] The high undercount rate was reported as an issue of concern as it raised questions about the accuracy of the number of white, Indian, foreign-born and homeless people recorded in the census.[12]