The Hunger Games’ 13 Districts, Explained

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The story of The Hunger Games takes place in Panem, a country in North America divided into 13 districts, each known for producing a specific good. These districts are controlled by the Capitol, a cruel and oppressive government led by Coriolanus Snow, the main character in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The Capitol fears a unified Panem, so it prevents people from traveling between the districts.

Panem is divided into thirteen districts, each with its unique background, traditions, and a record of citizens sent to the Hunger Games – it’s similar to the different houses at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series, but much darker. Although some districts have more resources than others, everyone in Panem still struggles with poverty. The Capitol also expects complete dedication to work from all its citizens. Here’s a look at all thirteen districts as we prepare for the new Hunger Games movie, Sunrise on the Reaping.

District 1: Luxury

District 1 specializes in producing luxury goods for the Capitol, which makes it the wealthiest district and keeps it in good standing. A portion of their income goes towards preparing their tributes – giving them better training and food – which leads to more victories than any other district. For example, Gloss and Cashmere from District 1 are victors featured in Catching Fire. In the first Hunger Games movie, Katniss faces off against District 1 tributes Marvel and Glimmer. In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Facet and Velvereen are chosen as tributes for the 10th Hunger Games, but ultimately don’t compete.

Notable characters:

  • Marvel – Jack Quaid
  • Glimmer – Leven Rambin
  • Gloss – Alan Ritchson
  • Cashmere – Stephanie Leigh Schlund

District 2: Masonry

District 2, known for its powerful citizens, is nestled in the Rocky Mountains and provides the stone used to build the Capitol’s cities. The Capitol often recruits Peacekeepers from this district in secret. While most residents dread being chosen for the Hunger Games, District 2 has a surprising number of volunteers who actively compete. These tributes are formidable opponents – in both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, they consistently rank among the final seven.

Cato, Clove, and Brutus are all originally from District 2. In the movie Catching Fire, Enobaria, who won the 62nd Hunger Games, returns to compete and makes it through the events. The story The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes shows Marcus and Sabyn representing District 2 as tributes in the 10th Hunger Games.

Notable characters:

  • Cato – Alexander Ludwig
  • Clove – Isabelle Fuhrman
  • Enobaria – Meta Golding
  • Brutus – Bruno Gunn

District 3: Technology

District 3 is Panem’s tech hub, responsible for making all the computers and electronics used by the Capitol. However, District 3 isn’t known for having successful competitors in the Hunger Games. While their technological skills are valuable, they haven’t led to many victories. By the end of the Hunger Games story, Beetee is the only tribute from District 3 to survive both the Games and the resulting war. In the prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Circ and Teslee represent District 3 as tributes.

Notable characters:

  • Beetee – Jeffrey Wright
  • Wiress – Amanda Plummer

District 4: Fishing

The Capitol gets all of its seafood from District 4. People from District 4 are known for being excellent swimmers and skilled at fishing with nets, as well as using weapons like spears and tridents. In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the tributes from District 4 are named Coral and Mizzen. In the first Hunger Games movie, the District 4 tributes aren’t named and are killed during the initial fight at the Cornucopia, or shortly after.

In Catching Fire, we meet Finnick Odair, Mags Flanagan, and Annie Cresta, the victors from District 4. Though all three are kind and compassionate, only Annie makes it through the entire Hunger Games story. After the war ends, Annie has a son, and she shares photos of him with Katniss and Peeta.

Notable characters:

  • Finnick Odair – Sam Claflin
  • Mags Flanagan – Lynn Cohen
  • Annie Cresta – Stef Dawson

District 5: Power

District 5 provides power to the Capitol using sources like solar, electric, and nuclear energy. In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Hy and Sol represent District 5 as tributes. During the first Hunger Games movie, Katniss calls the female tribute from District 5 “Foxface.” This tribute ultimately dies after eating nightlock berries she took from Peeta.

In Catching Fire, a male tribute from District 5 is killed by Finnick Odair, marking the first death in the 75th Hunger Games. Later, the female tribute from District 5 also dies as the Gamemakers make the arena more dangerous. After the events of Catching Fire, no characters from District 5 are known to have joined the rebellion.

Notable characters:

  • Foxface — Jacqueline Emerson

District 6: Transportation

District 6 is known for its transportation industry. According to The Hunger Games: Tribute Guide, they provide the Capitol with vehicles like hovercraft and both high-speed and cargo trains. In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Otto and Ginnee are the tributes chosen to compete in the 10th Hunger Games.

In The Hunger Games, both tributes from District 6 are killed during the initial fight. Catching Fire introduces past Hunger Games winners who are battling an addiction to a drug called morphling. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes reveals that before the events of The Hunger Games, a tribute from District 6 resorted to cannibalism, a practice strongly condemned by the Capitol within the arena.

District 7: Lumber

District 7 provides lumber and paper to the Capitol, and its residents, like Blight and Johanna Mason, are skilled workers. Katniss notices that those from District 7 are particularly good with tools like axes, and their physically demanding jobs likely prepare them well for the challenges of the Hunger Games arena.

In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Treech and Lamina are the tributes representing District 7. The first Hunger Games movie shows the District 7 tributes quickly falling in the initial fight at the Cornucopia. Later, in Catching Fire, Johanna Mason appears and ultimately survives throughout the entire series.

Notable characters:

  • Johanna Mason – Jena Malone

District 8: Textiles

District 8 is known for its textile production, and they are the ones who make the uniforms for the Capitol’s Peacekeepers. In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the District 8 tributes, Bobbin and Wovey, have difficult interactions with Lucy Gray Baird and Coriolanus Snow. Throughout the first two Hunger Games films, District 8 tributes haven’t fared well, with three out of four of them dying during the initial chaotic fight at the Cornucopia.

Notable characters:

  • Commander Paylor — Patina Miller

District 9: Grain

District 9 is one of Panem’s largest, but it doesn’t get much attention in The Hunger Games books and movies. This district is known for growing grain and is the home of Sheaf and Panlo, who were tributes in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. In the first Hunger Games film, Clove, a tribute from District 2, kills a male tribute from District 9. We also see a photo of a female tribute from District 9 who dies early in the Games during the chaotic fight for supplies. Similarly, the two District 9 tributes in Catching Fire are quickly killed at the start of the competition.

District 10: Livestock

District 10 is primarily known for raising livestock, providing meat for the Capitol. Until recently, tributes from this district in The Hunger Games series were never given names. The movie The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes broke this pattern by introducing Brandy and Tanner as the first named tributes from District 10.

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2026-04-14 18:38