The main communities occupying Lawngtlai District are the Lais, Chakmas, Bawm, Pang etc. There exists a rich and famous cultural heritage among such tribes. In the eastern side of the district where Lai community are the main inhabitants, Chawnglaizawn, Sarlamkai, Pawhlohtlawh are the main cultural dances. In Chakma-occupied areas of the district, there are various tribes of backward classes. In this area, the main religion is Buddhism whereas in the eastern side. i.e. Lai occupied area, Christianity is the major religion. The common languages spoken in the district are Lai, Chakma and various dialects of other backward tribes. These communities have different folk dances and folk tales of their own. The inhabitants of Lawngtlai District are very backward in various ways, the standard of living is relatively low compared to other districts and literacy percentage of the district is also the lowest among the eight districts of Mizoram.
In comparison to other districts in Mizoram, Lawngtlai District has certain uniqueness and peculiarity. There are two autonomous district councils within the district viz. Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) and Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC), with their headquarters at Lawngtlai and Chawngte respectively. Having separate autonomous legislature, the Lais and the Chakmas administer their respective autonomous regions whereas Civil administration including all kinds of criminal cases comes under the jurisdiction of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and all cases trial-able under customary laws are vested within the jurisdiction of the autonomous district councils.