According to the international legal concept of indigenous peoples, the majority of people in Chin State are indigenous and self-identity as such. Although people in Chin State are unified to some extent through shared history, religion, cultural heritage, geographical homeland, and traditional practices, the origins of the collective term Chin are disputed (‘Chin’ is accepted by many, but not all) and many people prefer to use nomenclature such as Laimi, Khumi, Muun, Mara, Matu, Zomi,  Zotung and so on to denote their identities. These identities are also shaped by complex systems of kinship and clans which often also stray into neighboring countries and regions, prompting some to look to a larger overlapping identity of 'Zo'. 

Chin State is one of the most linguistically diverse parts of Burma/Myanmar, with many mutually unintelligible dialects and no common language. For most children, Burmese is their second or third language and they are unlikely to use it much before entering school.

Chin State is one of the most isolated regions in Burma/Myanmar, with inadequate road infrastructure, communication systems, healthcare and education facilities, electricity and running water. During rainy season many roads - particularly in remote northern and southern parts of Chin State - are virtually impassable. In Paletwa township, southern Chin State, there are very few roads and people primarily travel by boat on the Kaladan river and its tributaries. In other areas of Chin State many villages are connected by a network of paths rather than paved roads. Shifting cultivation is the primary subsistence livelihood for the largely rural communities in Chin State. Chin State continues to be affected by on going armed conflicts which have taken place in Paletwa townshi­­­­p since 2015. 

In February 2021, the coup d'état occured after over 10 years of military back parliamentary has been installed. The Civil Disobedience Movement and anti-coup protest was quickly spread over the country against the  military coup. Ongoing armed conflict has severely affected the region, bringing the education system to standstill, and resulting in a significant part of the population becoming either internally displaced or seeking refuge in bordering countries such as India, Thailand and Malaysia.