adminPopulation size and structure
THE total population of the province was 653 337.This is very close to the initial figure of 655 675 released in the preliminary report in December 2012. It should be recalled that the earlier figures were compiled manually at the census districts immediately after the census count, and were therefore subject to clerical errors.
Private and collective households
During the census, distinction was made between private and collective households. The latter included persons who were staying in institutions of all types and constituted a population of almost one percent in the whole province. There were 165 345 private households with an average size of about 3,9 persons per household. The largest proportion of households (18 percent) was in the three-person household size category.
Marital status
The population in Bulawayo Province was relatively young with 34 percent aged below 15 years and slightly above three percent for 65 years and above. It was further observed that about 40 percent of the population had never married. This large proportion was probably due to the presence of a high percentage of young population. However, females seemed to have entered into such unions at much younger ages than the males. Around 48 percent of the population was currently married, while about 12 percent were either divorced/ separated or widowed. As expected, proportionately more females than males were widowed. The same is also the case with those who were divorced/separated.
Ethnic origin and citizenship
Persons of African origin made up 98 percent of the population while those of non-African ethnic origin accounted for the remaining two percent. Citizens of Zimbabwe constituted nearly the entire population and about one percent were citizens of other countries.
Education and literacy
Census information on education revealed that about 10 percent of the population aged three to 24 years had never been to school. However, 89 percent of these were below six years of age and many of them were likely to start school later. Fifty-eight percent of the population was currently attending school.
The proportion of the population aged three to 24 years that had left school at the census time was two percent. Of the total female population age three to 24 years, 33 percent had left school while the proportion for males was 42 percent.
Activity and labour force
Activity and labour force focused on the population age at least 15 years and these constituted 66 percent of the total population.
Out of these, around 60 percent were in the labour force. The proportion of those in the labour force who were unemployed was about 28 percent. Almost one percent of children aged 10-14 years were economically active.
The proportions of those not in the labour force who were students was 39 percent, homemakers 42 percent, and retired/sick/too old 14 percent.
Out of those who were employed, the highest proportions (32 percent) were engaged in services related occupations, followed by Business and Finance (eight percent).
Housing conditions
Information on housing conditions in the province showed that 39 percent of the households lived in their own dwelling units, either as owners or purchasers. The proportion of lodgers was 39 percent. With regard to the type of dwelling units, it was observed that about 95 percent of the households in the province lived in model 13 type of dwelling units, while a negligible proportion (one percent) occupied dwelling units which were either traditional or mixed. The proportion of households using electricity in the province was 91 percent.
With regard to the source of water for drinking and cooking, almost all households had access to safe water, that is either piped or from boreholes/protected wells.
The remaining negligible proportion relied on relatively unsafe water from unprotected wells, rivers, streams and dams. It was further noted that about 64 percent of the households had water on their premises; while 29 percent had water within a distance of less than 500 metres.
Information on the type of toilet facility mainly used by the household in the province indicated that a negligible proportion (one percent) of the households had no toilet facility at all.
With regard to the type of energy mainly used for cooking, it was observed that six percent of the households in the province used wood, while about 91 percent of them used either paraffin or electricity. Less than one percent of the households used gas, coal and other forms of energy.
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