Minamiechizen was formed on January 1, 2005 by the merger of the two former towns and one former village in Nanjō district: Imajo, Kōno, and (the town of) Nanjō.
As of 2003, the total estimated population of the merged towns and village is 12,779 with a density of 37.17 persons per km². The total area is 343.84 km².