The last estimate of the raion population, reported by the Ukrainian government, was 30,007 (2020 est.).

The raion's territory was the site of fierce fighting during World War II.

[3] In 1962, the city's name was shortened to Antratsyt, and it was made a city of regional significance; Antratsyt still served as the administrative center of the raion, but it was no longer a part of it, instead being subordinated directly to Luhansk Oblast.

[8] The National Resistance Center of Ukraine has reported that in July 2023, the Russians abducted 280 children from occupied Antratsyt Raion and took them to a "Cossack Cadet Corps" center in the Republic of Kalmykia for propagandizing and erasure of Ukrainian identity.

It also has significant deposits of sandstone, limestone, and raw materials used to make bricks and tiles.