At the 2022 census, the Breede Valley municipality had a population of 212,682 people, increasing at an annual rate of 2.4% from 2011.

At the end of the apartheid era, the area that is today the Breede Valley Municipality formed part of the Breërivier Regional Services Council (RSC).

The towns of Worcester, Rawsonville, De Doorns and Touws River were governed by municipal councils elected by their white residents.

The coloured residents of Worcester, De Doorns and Touws River were governed by management committees subordinate to the white councils.

While the negotiations to end apartheid were taking place a process was established for local authorities to agree on voluntary mergers.

The transitional councils were initially made up of members nominated by the various parties to the negotiations, until May 1996 when elections were held.

In 2011 when District Management Areas were abolished, the eastern boundary of the municipality was extended to include the sparsely populated region to the east of Touws River which had formerly been part of a DMA.