Mongolia

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 499,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

state-run radio and TV provider is now a public-service provider; also available are 68 radio and 160 TV stations, including multi-channel satellite and cable TV providers; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)

Internet country code

.mn

Internet users

percent of population: 83% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 524,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 4.84 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 142 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

milk, wheat, lamb/mutton, potatoes, beef, carrots/turnips, goat milk, goat meat, bison milk, horse meat (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $4.721 billion (2021 est.) expenditures: $5.623 billion (2021 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Current account balance

$121.266 million (2023 est.) -$2.303 billion (2022 est.) -$2.108 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$8.379 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

lower middle-income East Asian economy; large human capital improvements over last 3 decades; agricultural and natural resource rich; export and consumption-led growth; high inflation due to supply bottlenecks and increased food and energy prices; currency depreciation

Exchange rates

togrog/tugriks (MNT) per US dollar - 3,389.982 (2024 est.) 3,465.737 (2023 est.) 3,140.678 (2022 est.) 2,849.289 (2021 est.) 2,813.29 (2020 est.)

Exports

$15.501 billion (2023 est.) $10.989 billion (2022 est.) $8.95 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

coal, copper ore, gold, iron ore, crude petroleum (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 92%, Switzerland 6%, Italy 1%, Thailand 0%, Japan 0% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$23.586 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 49.8% (2024 est.) government consumption: 16.3% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 26.8% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 7.8% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 69.1% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -69.8% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 7.4% (2024 est.) industry: 38.1% (2024 est.) services: 44.2% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

31.4 (2022 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.4% (2022 est.) highest 10%: 24.6% (2022 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$13.545 billion (2023 est.) $12.112 billion (2022 est.) $9.256 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

cars, trucks, trailers, tractors, construction vehicles (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 57%, Japan 13%, Germany 3%, Singapore 3%, USA 3% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

6.5% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

construction and construction materials; mining (coal, copper, molybdenum, fluorspar, tin, tungsten, gold); oil; food and beverages; processing of animal products, cashmere and natural fiber manufacturing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.8% (2024 est.) 10.3% (2023 est.) 15.1% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

1.449 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

27.1% (2022 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

67.6% of GDP (2021 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$59.221 billion (2024 est.) $56.474 billion (2023 est.) $52.572 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

4.9% (2024 est.) 7.4% (2023 est.) 5% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$16,800 (2024 est.) $16,200 (2023 est.) $15,300 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

2.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 2.3% of GDP (2022 est.) 3.1% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$5.508 billion (2024 est.) $4.916 billion (2023 est.) $3.398 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

16.9% (of GDP) (2021 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

5.5% (2024 est.) 5.6% (2023 est.) 6.3% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 13.8% (2024 est.) male: 15.9% (2024 est.) female: 10.8% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Coal

production: 64.824 million metric tons (2023 est.) consumption: 8.941 million metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 55.884 million metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 900 metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 2.52 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 1.51 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 8.997 billion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 24 million kWh (2023 est.) imports: 2.224 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 1.113 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 90.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 2.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 6.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

67.132 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 15,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 39,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

19.203 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 13.489 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 5.714 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)

Environmental issues

limited natural freshwater resources in some areas; air pollution from coal-burning power plants and lax regulations in Ulaanbaatar; soil erosion from deforestation and overgrazing; water pollution; desertification; effects from mining

International environmental agreements

party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land: 69% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 68.2% (2023 est.) forest: 9.1% (2023 est.) other: 21.9% (2023 est.)

Methane emissions

energy: 532.2 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 525.2 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 14.2 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 2.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

41.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

34.8 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 45.3 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 166.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 250.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 69.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.9 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 13% (2022 est.)

Area

total : 1,564,116 sq km land: 1,553,556 sq km water: 10,560 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Alaska; more than twice the size of Texas

Climate

desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point: Nayramadlin Orgil (Khuiten Peak) 4,374 m lowest point: Hoh Nuur 560 m mean elevation: 1,528 m

Geographic coordinates

46 00 N, 105 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

Irrigated land

796 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total: 8,082 km border countries (2): China 4,630 km; Russia 3,452 km

Land use

agricultural land: 69% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 68.2% (2023 est.) forest: 9.1% (2023 est.) other: 21.9% (2023 est.)

Location

Northern Asia, between China and Russia

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s): Hovsgol Nuur - 2,620 sq km; Har Us Nuur - 1,760 sq km; salt water lake(s): Uvs Nuur - 3,350 sq km; Hyargas Nuur - 1,360 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Amur (shared with China [s] and Russia [m]) - 4,444 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

dust storms; grassland and forest fires; drought; "zud," which is harsh winter conditions

Natural resources

oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron

Population distribution

population sparsely distributed throughout the country; the capital of Ulaanbaatar and the northern city of Darhan support the highest population densities

Terrain

vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central

Administrative divisions

21 provinces ( aymguud , singular - aymag ) and 1 municipality* ( hot ); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan-Uul, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan (Zavkhan), Govi-Altay, Govisumber, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Orhon, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs

Capital

name: Ulaanbaatar geographic coordinates: 47 55 N, 106 55 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Saturday in March; ends last Saturday in September time zone note: Mongolia has two time zones - Ulaanbaatar Time (8 hours in advance of UTC) and Hovd Time (7 hours in advance of UTC) etymology: the name means "red hero" in Mongolian and honors national hero Damdin SUKHBAATAR, leader of the partisan army that, with Soviet help, liberated Mongolia from Chinese occupation in the early 1920s

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Mongolia; one parent if born within Mongolia dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 13 January 1992, effective 12 February 1992 amendment process: proposed by the State Great Hural, by the president of the republic, by the government, or by petition submitted to the State Great Hural by the Constitutional Court; conducting referenda on proposed amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the State Great Hural; passage of amendments by the State Great Hural requires at least three-quarters majority vote; passage by referendum requires majority participation of qualified voters and a majority of votes

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Mongolia local long form: none local short form: Mongol Uls former: Outer Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic etymology: name comes from the Mongol people, whose name derives from the Mongol root word mengu or mongu , meaning "brave" or "unconquered;" the Mongolian name Mongol Uls translates as "Mongol State"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Richard L. BUANGAN (since November 2022) embassy: Denver Street #3, 11th Micro-District, Ulaanbaatar 14190 mailing address: 4410 Ulaanbaatar Place, Washington DC 20521-4410 telephone: [976] 7007-6001 FAX: [976] 7007-6174 email address and website: UlaanbaatarACS@state.gov https://mn.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador BATBAYAR Ulziidelger (since 1 December 2021) chancery: 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 333-7117 FAX: [1] (202) 298-9227 email address and website: washington@mfa.gov.mn http://mongolianembassy.us/ consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ukhnaagiin KHURELSUKH (since 25 June 2021) head of government: Prime Minister Gombojavyn ZANDANSHATAR (since 13 June 2025) cabinet: Cabinet directly appointed by the prime minister election/appointment process: presidential candidates nominated by political parties represented in the State Great Hural and directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for one 6-year term; following legislative elections, the State Great Hural usually elects the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister most recent election date: 9 June 2021 election results: 2021: Ukhnaagiin KHURELSUKH elected president in first round; percent of vote - Ukhnaagiin KHURELSUKH (MPP) 68%, Dangaasuren ENKHBAT (RPEC) 20.1%, Sodnomzundui ERDENE (DP) 6% 2017: Khaltmaa BATTULGA elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Khaltmaa BATTULGA (DP) 38.1%, Miyegombo ENKHBOLD (MPP) 30.3%, Sainkhuu GANBAATAR (MPRP) 30.2%, invalid 1.4%; percent of vote in second round - Khaltmaa BATTULGA 55.2%, Miyegombo ENKHBOLD 44.8% expected date of next election: 2027

Flag

description: three equal vertical bands of red (left side), blue, and red; centered on the left-side red band is the national emblem in yellow, the soyombo, which is an abstract representation of fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol meaning: blue stands for the sky, and red for progress and prosperity

Government type

semi-presidential republic

Independence

29 December 1911 (independence declared from China; in actuality, autonomy attained); 11 July 1921 (from China)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB, ARF, CD, CICA, CP, EBRD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, OSCE, SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the Chief Justice and 24 judges organized into civil, criminal, and administrative chambers); Constitutional Court or Tsets (consists of the chairman and 8 members) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice and judges appointed by the president on recommendation of the General Council of Courts -- a 14-member body of judges and judicial officials -- to the State Great Hural; appointment is for life; chairman of the Constitutional Court elected from among its members; members appointed from nominations by the State Great Hural - 3 each by the president, the State Great Hural, and the Supreme Court; appointment is 6 years; chairmanship limited to a single renewable 3-year term subordinate courts: aimag (provincial) and capital city appellate courts; soum, inter-soum, and district courts; Administrative Cases Courts

Legal system

civil law system influenced by Soviet and Romano-Germanic systems; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

legislature name: State Great Hural (Ulsiin Ih Hural) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 126 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 6/28/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Mongolian People's Party (MPP) (68); Democratic Party (DP) (42); HUN Party (8); Other (8) percentage of women in chamber: 25.4% expected date of next election: June 2028

National anthem(s)

title: "Mongol ulsyn toriin duulal" (National Anthem of Mongolia) lyrics/music: Tsendiin DAMDINSUREN/Bilegiin DAMDINSUREN and Luvsanjamts MURJORJ history: music adopted 1950, lyrics adopted 2006; lyrics altered on numerous occasions

National color(s)

red, blue, yellow

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 6 (4 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Uvs Nuur Basin (n); Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape (c); Petroglyphic Complexes of the Mongolian Altai (c); Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and surrounding sacred landscape (c); Landscapes of Dauria (n); Deer Stone Monuments and Related Bronze Age Sites (c)

National holiday

Naadam (games) holiday, 11-15 July; Constitution Day, 26 November (1924) note: the first holiday commemorates independence from China in the 1921 Revolution, and the second marks the date that the Mongolian People's Republic was created under a new constitution

National symbol(s)

Soyombo character (from the Soyombo writing system)

Political parties

Democratic Party or DP Mongolian People's Party or MPP National Coalition (consists of Mongolian Green Party or MGP and the Mongolian National Democratic Party or MNDP) National Labor Party or HUN Civil Will-Green Party or CWGP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The peoples of Mongolia have a long history under a number of nomadic empires dating back to the Xiongnu in the 4th century B.C., and the name Mongol goes back to at least the 11th century A.D. The most famous Mongol, TEM JIN (aka Genghis Khan), emerged as the ruler of all Mongols in the early 1200s. By the time of his death in 1227, he had created through conquest a Mongol Empire that extended across much of Eurasia. His descendants, including G DEI and KHUBILAI (aka Kublai Khan), continued to conquer Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of China, where KHUBILAI established the Yuan Dynasty in the 1270s. The Mongols attempted to invade Japan and Java before their empire broke apart in the 14th century. In the 17th century, Mongolia fell under the rule of the Manchus of the Chinese Qing Dynasty. After Manchu rule collapsed in 1911, Mongolia declared independence, finally winning it in 1921 with help from the Soviet Union. Mongolia became a socialist state (the Mongolian People s Republic) in 1924. Until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, Mongolia was a Soviet satellite state and relied heavily on economic, military, and political assistance from Moscow. The period was also marked by purges, political repression, economic stagnation, and tensions with China. Mongolia peacefully transitioned to an independent democracy in 1990. In 1992, it adopted a new constitution and established a free-market economy. Since the country's transition, it has conducted a series of successful presidential and legislative elections. Throughout the period, the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party -- which took the name Mongolian People s Party (MPP) in 2010 -- has competed for political power with the Democratic Party and several other smaller parties. For most of its democratic history, Mongolia has had a divided government, with the presidency and the parliamentary majority held by different parties but that changed in 2021, when the MPP won the presidency after having secured a supermajority in parliament in 2020. Mongolia s June 2021 presidential election delivered a decisive victory for MPP candidate Ukhnaagiin KHURELSUKH. Mongolia maintains close cultural, political, and military ties with Russia, while China is its largest economic partner. Mongolia s foreign relations are focused on preserving its autonomy by balancing relations with China and Russia, as well as its other major partners, Japan, South Korea, and the US.

Military - note

the Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) are responsible for ensuring the country's independence, security, and territorial integrity, as well as supporting Mongolia's developmental goals and diplomacy; it has a range of missions, including counterterrorism, international peacekeeping duties, and assisting the internal security forces in providing emergency aid and disaster relief; Mongolia hosts an annual international peacekeeping exercise known as Khaan Quest ; it has no formal military alliances, but has defense ties and conducts training exercises with several regional countries and others, such as China, India, Russia, and the US Mongolia actively cooperates with NATO on issues such as counterterrorism, nonproliferation, and cybersecurity through an Individual Partnership and Cooperation Program; it supported the NATO-led Kosovo Force from 2005-2007 and contributed troops to the NATO-led missions in Afghanistan from 2009-2021; Mongolia also is an observer in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (2025)

Military and security forces

Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF): Land Force, Air Force, Cyber Security Forces, Special Forces, Construction-Engineering Forces (2025) note: the National Police Agency and the General Authority for Border Protection, which operate under the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, are primarily responsible for internal security; they are assisted by the General Intelligence Agency under the prime minister

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; estimated 10-20,000 active Mongolian Armed Forces (2025)

Military deployments

850 South Sudan (UNMISS) (2025) note: since 2002, Mongolia has deployed more than 20,000 peacekeepers and observers to UN operations in more than a dozen countries

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the MAF's inventory is comprised largely of Soviet-era and secondhand Russian equipment (2025)

Military expenditures

0.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.8% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; initial service 24 months; compulsory service for men at 18; service obligation is 12 months in the military or police, which can be extended to 15 months under special circumstances; compulsory service can be exchanged for a 24‐month stint in the civil service or a cash payment determined by the Mongolian Government; after conscription, soldiers can contract into military service for up to 4 years (2025)

Age structure

0-14 years: 25.7% (male 429,867/female 412,943) 15-64 years: 68.4% (male 1,087,487/female 1,156,547) 65 years and over: 5.9% (2024 est.) (male 78,242/female 116,590)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 5.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 2.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 1.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 1.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

18.01 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 0.9% (2018) women married by age 18: 12% (2018) men married by age 18: 2.1% (2018)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.9% (2023 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

60.2% (2020 est.)

Death rate

5.35 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 59.1 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 50.2 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 8.9 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 11.2 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 94.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 59.7% of population (2022 est.) total: 83.5% of population (2022 est.) urban: 5.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 40.3% of population (2022 est.) total: 16.5% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

3.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 13.8% national budget (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups

Khalkh 83.8%, Kazak 3.8%, Durvud 2.6%, Bayad 2%, Buriad 1.4%, Zakhchin 1.2%, Dariganga 1.1%, other 4.1% (2020 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.27 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

6.9% of GDP (2021) 9.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

10.6 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 22.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Mongolian 90% (official, Khalkha dialect is predominant), Turkic, Russian (1999) major-language sample(s): Дэлхийн баримтат ном, үндсэн мэдээллийн зайлшгүй эх сурвалж. (Mongolian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.9 years (2024 est.) male: 67.8 years female: 76.3 years

Literacy

total population: 98.6% (2023 est.) male: 98.3% (2023 est.) female: 98.9% (2023 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.673 million ULAANBAATAR (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

41 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 28.8 years (2025 est.) male: 30.1 years female: 32.8 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.5 years (2008 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-24

Nationality

noun: Mongolian(s) adjective: Mongolian

Net migration rate

-1.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.6% (2016)

Physician density

4.13 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

total: 3,281,676 (2024 est.) male: 1,595,596 female: 1,686,080

Population distribution

population sparsely distributed throughout the country; the capital of Ulaanbaatar and the northern city of Darhan support the highest population densities

Population growth rate

1.08% (2025 est.)

Religions

Buddhist 51.8%, no religion 40.6%, Muslim 3.2%, Shaman 2.5%, Christian 1.3%, Other 0.6% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 97.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 78.7% of population (2022 est.) total: 91.9% of population (2022 est.) urban: 2.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 21.3% of population (2022 est.) total: 8.1% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years (2023 est.) male: 13 years (2023 est.) female: 14 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 28.9% (2025 est.) male: 51.9% (2025 est.) female: 7.2% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.6 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 69.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 26 (2024 est.) IDPs: 22 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 17 (2024 est.)

Airports

37 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

JU

Merchant marine

total: 318 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 8, container ship 8, general cargo 151, oil tanker 58, other 93

Railways

total: 1,815 km (2017) broad gauge: 1,815 km (2017) 1.520-m gauge note: national operator Ulaanbaatar Railway is jointly owned by the Mongolian Government and by the Russian State Railway