Number of households in South Africa 2002-2022

As of 2022, the number of households in South Africa increased and amounted to approximately 18.48 million, roughly 530,000 more than in the previous year. Between 2002 and 2022, the number of families in South Africa grew by around 65 percent. Looking at the number of households from a regional perspective , the Gauteng province (includes the city of Johannesburg) has the bulk of households, with almost 5.6 million residences. Although Gauteng is the smallest region in the country, it is highly urbanized and houses most of the population.

Households headed by women

The number of households headed by women averaged around 42 percent. Rural areas such as the Eastern Cape and Limpopo had a higher proportion of women in charge of their family unit. Urbanized regions, namely Gauteng and the Western Cape, were more likely to be headed by men.

Languages spoken in households

The most spoken language within and outside of South African households was isiZulu, with around 25 percent of the population utilizing it. The English language was the second most common language spoken outside of households, with a share of roughly 17 percent. However, within households, individuals preferred to speak other official languages such as isiXhosa and Afrikaans. South Africa has a diverse range of cultures, and language plays a crucial role in preserving these cultures.