Cape Town: population and official figures
What is the population of Cape Town?
Cape Town, the capital of South Africa, had 433,688 inhabitants (city proper) on 10 October 2011, according to a complete census (people present) reported to the United Nations.
Source: United Nations Statistics Division · saved copyHow does Cape Town rank among cities in South Africa?
Of the 4 cities the UN table lists for South Africa (capitals and places of 100,000 or more), it is 4th largest.
Source: United Nations Statistics Division · saved copyHow many women and men live in Cape Town?
Women and girls made up 51.8% of residents (224,607 female, 209,082 male).
Source: United Nations Statistics Division · saved copyNotes from the UN table: Bloemfontein is the judicial capital, Cape Town is the legislative capital and Pretoria is the administrative capital.
Who runs Cape Town?
In South Africa, cities and towns are run by metropolitan municipalities: Council elected every five years: half the seats are ward councillors chosen by first-past-the-post, half come from party lists; the council elects the mayor. Single tier of local government for the biggest cities (e.g. Johannesburg, Cape Town, eThekwini/Durban).
How local power works in South Africa
Cities of a similar size in South Africa
- Johannesburg 957,441
- Pretoria 741,651
- Durban 595,061
Up a level: all cities in South Africa · South Africa · government and power
Sources
- United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, Table 8: Population of capital cities and cities of 100 000 or more inhabitants, latest available year, 2005-2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c6784df022e…)
- United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, technical notes to Table 8, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b0d2d6d8ccd6…)
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