Most arable land has already been put under cultivation. Sikkim's growing rural population is slowly expanding upwards, bringing steeper forested slopes under cultivation. In addition, demand for cardamom, an export crop, has also contributed to conversion of forests to agriculture. Each village has different endowments of various types of lands, and very different patterns of access to public and common lands. Average holding size for poorer households is under three acres.
Most agriculture is rainfed.
Population has been expanding very rapidly, from 316,385 in 1981 and 209,843 in 1971. This represents an approximate doubling of the population in twenty years. Overall population density was 57 persons per square kilometer in 1991. In spite of GOS efforts, educational facilities, especially in rural areas, are still inadequate. The population is diverse in its ethnicity, religions, and languages.