The district is highly drought-prone and degraded waste lands form the matrix of Jhabua. The women make lovely ethnic items including bamboo products, dolls, bead-jewellery and other items that have for long decorated the living rooms all over the country. The men have for ages adorned “Teer-Kamthi”, the bow and arrow, which has been their symbol of chivalry and self-defence.
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Jhabua one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640) It is one of the 24 districts in Madhya Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).