Free State is served by 23 municipalities: 1 metropolitan, 4 district and 18 local. Together they cover 2 964 411 residents across 249 766 square kilometres.
2 964 411residents of Free State recorded in Census 2022, across 23 municipalities
Free State at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Municipalities | 23 |
| Metropolitan | 1 |
| District | 4 |
| Local | 18 |
| Population | 2 964 411 |
| Area | 249 766 km2 |
| Combined annual spending | R32.7 billion |
| Clean audits | 0 |
| Disclaimed audits | 3 |
| Coalition governed | 5 |
| Average financial health score | 33.9 |
Metropolitan municipalities
| Metro | Population | Expenditure | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mangaung | 811 431 | R11.9 billion | E |
District municipalities and what they cover
| District | Local municipalities | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Fezile Dabi | Mafube, Metsimaholo, Moqhaka, Ngwathe | D |
| Lejweleputswa | Masilonyana, Matjhabeng, Nala, Tokologo, Tswelopele | D |
| Thabo Mofutsanyana | Dihlabeng, Maluti-a-Phofung, Mantsopa, Nketoana, Phumelela, Setsoto | C |
| Xhariep | Kopanong, Letsemeng, Mohokare | D |
Largest municipalities by population
| Municipality | Population | Area km2 | People per km2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mangaung | 811 431 | 9 886 | 82.1 |
| Matjhabeng | 439 034 | 5 690 | 77.2 |
| Maluti-a-Phofung | 398 459 | 4 338 | 91.9 |
| Metsimaholo | 158 391 | 1 717 | 92.2 |
| Moqhaka | 155 410 | 7 925 | 19.6 |
| Ngwathe | 134 962 | 7 055 | 19.1 |
| Dihlabeng | 130 434 | 4 868 | 26.8 |
| Setsoto | 127 918 | 5 431 | 23.6 |
| Nala | 90 561 | 4 129 | 21.9 |
| Nketoana | 66 488 | 5 605 | 11.9 |
Financial health across Free State
The strongest finances in the province belong to Setsoto, scoring 71.3 out of 100 with a grade of B. The weakest are Maluti-a-Phofung at 3.0, a grade of F.
| Municipality | Type | Grade | Score | Audit outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setsoto | Local | B | 71.3 | Financially unqualified |
| Nala | Local | B | 70.0 | Audit not finalised |
| Thabo Mofutsanyana | District | C | 61.6 | Financially unqualified |
| Metsimaholo | Local | C | 56.7 | Qualified audit |
| Lejweleputswa | District | D | 49.0 | Financially unqualified |
| Fezile Dabi | District | D | 47.0 | Qualified audit |
| Mantsopa | Local | D | 45.4 | Qualified audit |
| Kopanong | Local | D | 45.1 | Qualified audit |
| Tswelopele | Local | D | 43.6 | Financially unqualified |
| Xhariep | District | D | 42.6 | Financially unqualified |
| Dihlabeng | Local | E | 35.1 | Financially unqualified |
| Mangaung | Metropolitan | E | 34.8 | Qualified audit |
| Mohokare | Local | E | 30.2 | Disclaimer of audit |
| Letsemeng | Local | E | 30.1 | Qualified audit |
| Phumelela | Local | F | 23.9 | Financially unqualified |
| Moqhaka | Local | F | 16.0 | Qualified audit |
| Matjhabeng | Local | F | 15.8 | Qualified audit |
| Tokologo | Local | F | 14.4 | Qualified audit |
| Ngwathe | Local | F | 13.9 | Qualified audit |
| Mafube | Local | F | 13.0 | Qualified audit |
| Nketoana | Local | F | 9.3 | Disclaimer of audit |
| Masilonyana | Local | F | 7.6 | Disclaimer of audit |
| Maluti-a-Phofung | Local | F | 3.0 | Audit not finalised |
Household services
Across the 19 metropolitan and local municipalities in Free State, an average of 46.2% of households have piped water inside the dwelling.
| Municipality | Piped water inside | Electricity | Weekly refuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mangaung | 47.3% | 95.5% | 59.1% |
| Matjhabeng | 61.4% | 95.0% | 64.5% |
| Maluti-a-Phofung | 36.2% | 96.5% | 30.9% |
| Metsimaholo | 66.8% | 89.3% | 79.6% |
| Moqhaka | 64.2% | 97.6% | 88.2% |
| Ngwathe | 53.6% | 95.7% | 88.1% |
| Dihlabeng | 56.7% | 93.9% | 79.4% |
| Setsoto | 36.9% | 92.2% | 71.9% |
| Nala | 42.0% | 93.3% | 66.7% |
| Nketoana | 37.1% | 90.6% | 59.4% |
| Masilonyana | 39.8% | 93.3% | 79.2% |
| Mafube | 48.8% | 97.4% | 71.1% |
Browse every municipality in the province, with full contact details and five years of figures, on the Free State page.
Figures on this page come from National Treasury, Statistics South Africa and the Auditor-General, as set out in the sources and methodology. Read the methodology