Lahaul & Spiti district is smallest and ranks at the end of all districts in terms of population in the state but ranks on the top in terms of area as it claims the major chunk of 24.86 percent of the state area.
The Sex –ratio of the total population in census 2011 for Lahul & Spiti is 903 females per thousand males, which show improvement of 101 as compared to census 2001.
Lahul & Spiti is sporadically populated with a population of 2 persons per sq. kilometer though it is the biggest in terms of area in the state.
It is comprised of entirely rural settlements with no urban component and registered a negative growth rate of -5.0 percent during 2001-2011 against Positive growth of + 6.17 percent in its population during 2001-2011 and continues to occupy the last position in terms of growth of population in the state.
It is the smallest district with 3 Sub-Divisions namely Udaipur, Lahul and Spiti. Two Community Development Blocks namely Lahul and Spiti, 2 Tehsils, and one Sub-tehsil in the state.
It touches the international boundary of Tibet and adjoining the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. In old-time, it used to provide the trade route between Central Asia to Gartok and Lhasa of Tibet.
The district is renowned for snowfields, ice caves, glaciers, and snow-clad mountains and passes.
The Lahaul and Udaipur Sub-divisions remain cut off from the rest of the world for about 6 months every year due to closure of vehicular traffic through Rohtang pass because of heavy snowfall. Moreover, the valleys of Spiti and Lahul remain almost cut off from each other for 8 months of the year by the mighty walls of Himalayan ranges between them.
The economy of the district is mainly agrarian and 58.18 percent of workers in the district are engaged in Primary Sector. It has the distinction of being an alone district in the state engaged in the cultivation of ‘hops’ and ‘Kuth’.
It has attained fame in producing high-quality potato crops and peas which are in much demand not only in the country but also in foreign countries.