Stories and facts
This division was initiated through the efforts of the then-president, John Agyekum Kufuor, who, by a decree, established Offinso North District on 29 February 2008. Simultaneously, the remaining portion was redesignated as Offinso Municipal District, achieving municipal district assembly status in the same year. The administrative seat of the district is Akomadan, a town situated in its northern precinct.
Population Insights: Diversity and Composition
As of the 2010 Population and Housing Census, Offinso North District accommodates a population of 56,881, constituting approximately 1.2 percent of the total regional populace. Gender distribution is nearly balanced, with males accounting for 49.8 percent and females for 50.2 percent. The district's populace is predominantly rural, encompassing 59 percent of the residents. This demographic makeup imparts a distinct sex ratio of 99, slightly favoring females.
The age distribution of the district manifests a youthful population structure, with 44.0 percent falling within the youthful age bracket. This structure gives way to a tapering population pyramid, culminating in a modest proportion of elderly individuals (3.9 percent). Calculated at 92.5, the age dependency ratio underscores the district's reliance on the younger population. Interestingly, the age dependency ratio is higher among males (97.4) in comparison to females (87.9).
Fertility, Mortality, and Migration Patterns
Offinso North District records a Total Fertility Rate of 4.7, accompanied by a General Fertility Rate of 141.4 births per 1000 women aged 15-49 years. This fertility rate ranks as the third highest in the region. The Crude Birth Rate (CBR) stands at 33.1 per 1000 population. On the flip side, the crude death rate is calculated at 5.1 per 1000, revealing a slightly higher death rate for males under the age of 5 (58 deaths per 1000 population) and for females under the same age group (45 deaths per 1000 population). The district has witnessed a total of 290 recorded deaths among its 56,881 population.
Migration patterns within the district depict a notable trend, where 79.2 percent of migrants were born outside the district, representing other regions. Intra-regional migration within the Ashanti Region accounts for the remaining 20.8 percent, with prominent sources being the Upper West Region (29.0 percent), the Northern Region (19.0 percent), and the Upper East Region (11.0 percent).
Household Dynamics: Structure and Marital Status
Offinso North District encompasses a household population of 55,816, distributed among 11,162 households. The average household size approximates 5 individuals. Children constitute the largest segment within households, making up 45.4 percent of members. Spouses comprise around 10 percent of household members. Nuclear households, characterized by the presence of a head, spouse(s), and children, represent 28.2 percent of the total households.
Marital status patterns highlight that over half (50.4 percent) of individuals aged 12 years and above are married, while 37.7 percent have never married. Additionally, 2.9 percent are in consensual unions, 4.2 percent are widowed, 3.2 percent are divorced, and 1.6 percent are separated. Noteworthy disparities emerge in marital status by age and gender. For instance, three-quarters (74.8 percent) of females aged 25-29 are married, compared to almost half (46.6 percent) of males within the same age range. Among those aged 65 and above, 53.2 percent of females are widowed, contrasting with 9.9 percent of males.
Educational Attainment and Economic Participation
Offinso North District portrays a literacy rate of 61.6 percent among individuals aged 11 years and above, leaving 38.4 percent classified as non-literate. Notably, a higher proportion of males (53.6 percent) are literate compared to females (46.4 percent). Within the district, approximately 64.3 percent of the population possesses the ability to communicate in both English and Ghanaian languages.
Analyzing school attendance, of the population aged 3 years and above (20,257 individuals), 34.1 percent have never attended school, 39.6 percent are currently enrolled, and 26.3 percent have previously attended.
Economic Activity and Employment Patterns
Economically active individuals aged 15 years and above account for approximately 75.0 percent of the district's population, while the remaining 25.0 percent are not economically active. Among the economically active segment, 96.7 percent are employed, whereas 3.3 percent are unemployed. Among those not engaged in economic activities, the majority are students (52.2 percent), followed by individuals performing household duties (24.0 percent), and those disabled or unwell (4.8 percent). Notably, nearly 68 percent of the unemployed are actively seeking work for the first time.
Occupational Landscape and Employment Sectors
Among the employed population, a significant proportion (75.4 percent) are involved in skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery occupations. An additional 9.7 percent engage in service and sales, while 5.2 percent are part of the craft and related trade sector. Moreover, 4.0 percent are employed in managerial, professional, and technical roles.
Dividing employment categories further, men dominate across all sectors except for contributing family workers and apprenticeships. In terms of employment sector distribution, the private informal sector stands as the primary employer, engaging 94.6 percent of the population. The public sector constitutes a smaller portion, employing 3.5 percent.
Offinso North District emerges as a unique and dynamic region within the Ashanti Region of Ghana, exhibiting a blend of rural living and youthful demographics. Its socio-economic profile reveals diversity in educational attainment, marital status, and economic engagement. The district's distinct features, historical background, and demographic composition position it as a significant entity within the broader regional landscape.
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