Asutifi South District is a notable administrative district located in the Ahafo Region of Ghana. Established in July 2012, the district was carved out from the then Asutifi District, with Hwidiem serving as the district capital. The creation of the district was formalized by Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2054 in 2011.

Location and Size

Situated in the western part of the Ahafo Region, Asutifi South District covers an area of approximately 597,244 square kilometers. It shares borders with the following districts:

• Asutifi North District to the North
• Ahafo Ano North District to the East
• Asunafo Municipal to the West
• Atwima Mponua District to the South-East
• Asunafo South District to the South-West

Geographically, it is positioned between latitudes 6°40′ and 7°15′ North, and longitudes 2°15′ and 2°45′ West.

Population

According to the 2010 Population and Housing Census, Asutifi South District has a population of 70,715, which constitutes 2.1% of the region’s total population. The district has a higher male population (53%) compared to females (47%), and 63% of the population resides in rural areas. The district exhibits a youthful demographic, with a significant portion (14%) aged 0-4 years, forming a broad base population pyramid. The age dependency ratio is 73.6, with females at 77.6 and males at 70.2. There are 10,845 households in the district, with an average size of 5 persons per household.

Fertility, Mortality, and Migration

The Total Fertility Rate is 3.6, and the General Fertility Rate is 107.5 births per 1000 women aged 15-49. The Crude Birth Rate is 25.4 per 1000 population.

The Crude Death Rate is 4 per 1000 population. The highest death rates are observed in the age group 70+, with 23 deaths per 1000 males and 17 per 1000 females.

A significant proportion (76%) of the district’s migrants were born in other regions, primarily the Ashanti Region (25.8%), Upper East (16.5%), and Northern (7.5%).

Marital Status

Among individuals aged 12 years and older:

• 43.8% are married
• 41.2% have never married
• 7.6% are in consensual unions
• 3.5% are widowed
• 3.5% are divorced
• 1.7% are separated

Education and employment

Education and employment status vary significantly with marital status. Notably, 37.1% of the married population have no education, while 86% are employed.

Health Facilities

The district boasts fourteen health facilities across its four sub-districts, including:

• 1 Hospital (St. Elizabeth Hospital, Hwidiem, run by the Catholic Diocese of Goaso)
• 3 Government Health Centres
• 1 Private Health Centre
• 1 Rural Clinic
• 1 Private Clinic
• 6 CHPS Compounds

Additional healthcare services include 23 demarcated CHPS zones, 17 of which are functional, and 1 Family Planning Clinic.

Educational and Related Institutions

• Secondary schools in Acherensua and Hwidiem (both have functional school clinics).
• Tertiary institution in Dadiesoaba

Security and Postal Services

• Functional security posts in Acherensua, Nkaseim, Hwidiem, and Dadiesoaba
• Functional post offices in Hwideim and Acherensua, with Nkaseim’s post office being non-functional

Other Organizations

• 1 prison in Hwidiem, serving both Kenyasi and Hwidiem
• No orphanages reported.