2018 Edition

Background

The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under Chinggis KHAAN they established a huge Eurasian empire through conquest. After his death the empire was divided into several powerful Mongol states, but these broke apart in the 14th century. The Mongols eventually retired to their original steppe homelands and in the late 17th century came under Chinese rule. Mongolia declared its independence from the Manchu-led Qing Empire in 1911 and achieved limited autonomy until 1919, when it again came under Chinese control. The Mongolian Revolution of 1921 ended Chinese dominance, and a communist regime, the Mongolian People’s Republic, took power in 1924.The modern country of Mongolia, however, represents only part of the Mongols' historical homeland; today, more ethnic Mongolians live in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China than in Mongolia. Since the country's peaceful democratic revolution in 1990, the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) - which took the name Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) in 2010 - has competed for political power with the Democratic Party (DP) and several other smaller parties, including a new party formed by former President ENKHBAYAR, which confusingly adopted for itself the MPRP name. In the country's most recent parliamentary elections in June 2016, Mongolians handed the MPP overwhelming control of Parliament, largely pushing out the DP, which had overseen a sharp decline in Mongolia’s economy during its control of Parliament in the preceding years. Mongolians elected a DP member, Khaltmaa BATTULGA, as president in 2017.

Area

land

1,553,556 sq km

total

1,564,116 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

elevation extremes

560 m lowest point: Hoh Nuur

mean elevation

1,528 m

note

4374 highest point: Nayramadlin Orgil (Khuiten Peak)

Environment Current Issues

limited natural freshwater resources in some areas; the burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws leads to air pollution in Ulaanbaatar; deforestation and overgrazing increase soil erosion from wind and rain; water pollution; desertification and mining activities have a deleterious effect on the environment

Environment International Agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

46 00 N, 105 00 E

Geography Note

landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

Irrigated Land

840 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (2)

China 4630 km, Russia 3452 km

total

8,082 km

Land Use

arable land: 0.4% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 72.6% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

73% (2011 est.)

forest

7% (2011 est.)

other

20% (2011 est.)

Location

Northern Asia, between China and Russia

Map References

Asia

Maritime Claims

note

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

sparsely distributed population 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

Age Structure

0-14 years

27% (male 427,225 /female 410,579)

15-24 years

15.67% (male 246,198 /female 240,040)

25-54 years

45.49% (male 683,475 /female 728,149)

55-64 years

7.43% (male 105,085 /female 125,502)

65 years and over

4.42% (male 55,447 /female 81,728) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

18.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

1.6% (2013)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

54.6% (2013)

Death Rate

6.3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.8 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

17.3 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

48.5 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

42.7 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 66.4% of population

rural: 59.2% of population

total: 64.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 33.6% of population

rural: 40.8% of population

total: 35.6% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2016)

Ethnic Groups

Khalkh 81.9%, Kazak 3.8%, Dorvod 2.7%, Bayad 2.1%, Buryat-Bouriates 1.7%, Zakhchin 1.2%, Dariganga 1%, Uriankhai 1%, other 4.6% (2010 est.)

Health Expenditures

4.7% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

<.1% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

<100 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

<1000 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

7 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

17.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

23.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

20.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Mongolian 90% (official) (Khalkha dialect is predominant), Turkic, Russian (1999)

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

74.7 years (2018 est.)

male

66 years (2018 est.)

total population

70.2 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

female

98.6% (2015 est.)

male

98.2% (2015 est.)

total population

98.4% (2015 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

1.52 million ULAANBAATAR (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

44 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

29.6 years (2018 est.)

male

28 years

total

28.8 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

20.5 years (2008 est.)

note

median age at first birth among women 20-24

Nationality

adjective

Mongolian

noun

Mongolian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

20.6% (2016)

Physicians Density

3.26 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

3,103,428 (July 2018 est.)

note

Mongolia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world (2 people per sq km); twice as many ethnic Mongols (some 6 million) live in Inner Mongolia (Nei Mongol) in neighboring China

Population Growth Rate

1.11% (2018 est.)

Religions

Buddhist 53%, Muslim 3%, Shamanist 2.9%, Christian 2.2%, other 0.4%, none 38.6% (2010 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 66.4% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 42.6% of population (2015 est.)

total: 59.7% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 33.6% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 57.4% of population (2015 est.)

total: 40.3% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

16 years (2015)

male

14 years (2015)

total

15 years (2015)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.85 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.69 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.04 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

22.1% (2016 est.)

male

20% (2016 est.)

total

20.8% (2016 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.63% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

68.4% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

21 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 1 municipality* (singular - 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

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Saturday in March; ends last Saturday in September

geographic coordinates

47 55 N, 106 55 E

name

Ulaanbaatar

note

Mongolia has two time zones - Ulaanbaatar Time (8 hours in advance of UTC) and Hovd Time (7 hours in advance of UTC)

time difference

UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

amendments

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; amended 1999, 2001 (2017)

history

several previous; latest adopted 13 January 1992, effective 12 February 1992 (2017)

Country Name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Mongolia

etymology

the name means "Land of the Mongols" in Latin; the Mongolian name Mongol Uls translates as "Mongol State"

former

Outer Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic

local long form

none

local short form

Mongol Uls

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Manuel MICALLER (since November 2017)

embassy

Denver Street #3, 11th Micro Region, Big Ring Road, Ulaanbaatar, 14190 Mongolia

FAX

[976] 7007-6016

mailing address

P.O. Box 341, Ulaanbaatar 14192

telephone

[976] 7007-6001

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Yondon OTGONBAYAR (since 28 March 2018)

consulate(s) general

New York, San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 298-9227

telephone

[1] (202) 333-7117

Executive Branch

cabinet

Cabinet nominated by the prime minister in consultation with the president, confirmed by the State Great Hural (parliament)

chief of state

President Khaltmaa BATTULGA (since 10 July 2017)

election results

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%

elections/appointments

presidential candidates nominated by political parties represented in the State Great Hural and directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 June 2017 with a runoff held 7 July 2017 (next to be held in 2021); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by the State Great Hural

head of government

Prime Minister Ukhnaa KHURELSUKH (since 4 October 2017); Deputy Prime Minister Ulziisaikhan ENKHTUVSHUN (since 18 October 2017); note - Prime Minister Jargaltulga ERDENEBAT (since 8 July 2016) was voted out of office by the Parliament on 7 September 2017

Flag Description

three, equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the national emblem ("soyombo" - a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representation for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol); blue represents the sky, red symbolizes 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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

highest courts

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 upon recommendation by 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 legal systems; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative Branch

description

unicameral State Great Hural or Ulsyn Ikh Khural (76 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; each constituency requires at least 50% voter participation for the poll to be valid; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - MPP 45.1%, DP 33.1%, MPRP 8.0%, independent 4.8%, other 9.0%; seats by party - MPP 65, DP 9, MPRP 1, independent 1; composition - men 63, women 13, percent of women 17.1%

elections

last held on 29 June 2016 (next to be held in June 2020)

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Tsendiin DAMDINSUREN/Bilegiin DAMDINSUREN and Luvsanjamts MURJORJ

name

"Mongol ulsyn toriin duulal" (National Anthem of Mongolia)

note

music adopted 1950, lyrics adopted 2006; lyrics altered on numerous occasions

National Holiday

Naadam (games) holiday (commemorates independence from China in the 1921 Revolution), 11-15 JulyConstitution Day (marks the date that the Mongolian People's Republic was created under a new constitution), 26 November (1924)

National Symbol S

soyombo emblem; national colors: red, blue, yellow

Political Parties And Leaders

Democratic Party or DP [Sodnomzundui ERDENE]Mongolian National Democratic Party or MNDP [Bayanjargal TSOGTGEREL]Mongolian People's Party or MPP [Miyegombo ENKHBOLD]Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [Nambar ENKHBAYAR]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

wheat, barley, vegetables, forage crops; sheep, goats, cattle, camels, horses

Budget

expenditures

3.681 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

2.967 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-6.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

11% (25 December 2017)

14% (19 December 2016)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

20.01% (31 December 2017 est.)

19.74% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$1.155 billion (2017 est.)

-$700 million (2016 est.)

Debt External

$25.33 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$24.63 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

34 (2017)

36.5 (2008)

Economy Overview

Foreign direct investment in Mongolia's extractive industries – which are based on extensive deposits of copper, gold, coal, molybdenum, fluorspar, uranium, tin, and tungsten - has transformed Mongolia's landlocked economy from its traditional dependence on herding and agriculture. Exports now account for more than 40% of GDP. Mongolia depends on China for more than 60% of its external trade - China receives some 90% of Mongolia's exports and supplies Mongolia with more than one-third of its imports. Mongolia also relies on Russia for 90% of its energy supplies, leaving it vulnerable to price increases. Remittances from Mongolians working abroad, particularly in South Korea, are significant.Soviet assistance, at its height one-third of GDP, disappeared almost overnight in 1990 and 1991 at the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. The following decade saw Mongolia endure both deep recession, because of political inaction, and natural disasters, as well as strong economic growth, because of market reforms and extensive privatization of the formerly state-run economy. The country opened a fledgling stock exchange in 1991. Mongolia joined the WTO in 1997 and seeks to expand its participation in regional economic and trade regimes.Growth averaged nearly 9% per year in 2004-08 largely because of high copper prices globally and new gold production. By late 2008, Mongolia was hit by the global financial crisis and Mongolia's real economy contracted 1.3% in 2009. In early 2009, the IMF reached a $236 million Stand-by Arrangement with Mongolia and it emerged from the crisis with a stronger banking sector and better fiscal management. In October 2009, Mongolia passed long-awaited legislation on an investment agreement to develop the Oyu Tolgoi (OT) mine, among the world's largest untapped copper-gold deposits. However, a dispute with foreign investors developing OT called into question the attractiveness of Mongolia as a destination for foreign investment. This caused a severe drop in FDI, and a slowing economy, leading to the dismissal of Prime Minister Norovyn ALTANKHUYAG in November 2014. The economy had grown more than 10% per year between 2011 and 2013 - largely on the strength of commodity exports and high government spending - before slowing to 7.8% in 2014, and falling to the 2% level in 2015. Growth rebounded from a brief 1.6% contraction in the third quarter of 2016 to 5.8% during the first three quarters of 2017, largely due to rising commodity prices.The May 2015 agreement with Rio Tinto to restart the OT mine and the subsequent $4.4 billion finance package signing in December 2015 stemmed the loss of investor confidence. The current government has made restoring investor trust and reviving the economy its top priority, but has failed to invigorate the economy in the face of the large drop-off in foreign direct investment, mounting external debt, and a sizeable budget deficit. Mongolia secured a $5.5 billion financial assistance package from the IMF and a host of international creditors in May 2017, which is expected to improve Mongolia’s long-term fiscal and economic stability as long as Ulaanbaatar can advance the agreement’s difficult contingent reforms, such as consolidating the government’s off-balance sheet liabilities and rehabilitating the Mongolian banking sector.

Exchange Rates

togrog/tugriks (MNT) per US dollar -

2,378.1 (2017 est.)

2,140.3 (2016 est.)

2,140.3 (2015 est.)

1,970.3 (2014 est.)

1,817.9 (2013 est.)

Exports

$5.834 billion (2017 est.)

$4.916 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

copper, apparel, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals, coal, crude oil

Exports Partners

China 85%, UK 10.7% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

59.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption

12.3% (2017 est.)

household consumption

49.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-57.1% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.8% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

12.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

12.1% (2017 est.)

industry

38.2% (2017 est.)

services

49.7% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$11.14 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$13,000 (2017 est.)

$12,500 (2016 est.)

$12,600 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$39.73 billion (2017 est.)

$37.81 billion (2016 est.)

$37.38 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

5.1% (2017 est.)

1.2% (2016 est.)

2.4% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

26.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

23.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

22.4% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

5.7% (2017)

lowest 10%

5.7% (2017)

Imports

$4.345 billion (2017 est.)

$3.466 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

machinery and equipment, fuel, cars, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, cigarettes and tobacco, appliances, soap and detergent

Imports Partners

China 32.6%, Russia 28.1%, Japan 8.4%, US 4.8%, South Korea 4.6% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

-1% (2017 est.)

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

4.6% (2017 est.)

0.5% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

1.241 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

31.1%

industry

18.5%

services

50.5% (2016)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$632.6 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$766.1 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.095 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

29.6% (2016 est.)

Public Debt

91.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

90% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$3.016 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.296 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$1.164 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$862.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

$495 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$455.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$18.02 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$16.28 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$7.542 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$7.312 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$1.164 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$862.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

26.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

8% (2017 est.)

7.9% (2016 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

19.86 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

14,360 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

20,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

NA bbl (1 January 2017)

Electricity Access

electrification - rural areas

73% (2013)

electrification - total population

90% (2013)

electrification - urban areas

98% (2013)

population without electricity

300,000 (2013)

Electricity Consumption

5.932 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

51 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

87% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

11% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

1.446 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

1.134 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

5.339 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

27,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

24,190 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

9 (2017 est.)

total

285,093 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

following a law passed in 2005, Mongolia's state-run radio and TV provider converted to a public service provider; also available are 69 radio and 131 TV stations, including multi-channel satellite and cable TV providers; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2017)

Internet Country Code

.mn

Internet Users

percent of population

22.3% (July 2016 est.)

total

674,949 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

very low fixed-line teledensity; there are four mobile-cellular providers and subscribership is increasing (2016)

general assessment

network is improving with international direct dialing available in many areas; a fiber-optic network has been installed that is improving broadband and communication services between major urban centers with multiple companies providing inter-city fiber-optic cable services (2016)

international

country code - 976; satellite earth stations - 7 (2016)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

292,594 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

127 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

3,886,167 (2017 est.)

Airports

44 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m

10 (2017)

over 3,047 m

2 (2017)

total

15 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

24 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

2 (2013)

over 3,047 m

2 (2013)

total

29 (2013)

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

JU (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant Marine

by type

bulk carrier 8, container ship 5, general cargo 101, oil tanker 67, other 80 (2017)

total

261 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

7,130,148 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

541,129 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

12 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

3 (2015)

Railways

broad gauge

1,815 km 1.520-m gauge (2016)

note

national operator Ulaanbaatar Railway is jointly owned by the Mongolian Government and by the Russian State Railway

total

1,815 km (2016)

Roadways

paved

4,800 km (2013)

total

49,249 km (2013)

unpaved

44,449 km (2013)

Waterways

580 km (the only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol) (135 km); Selenge River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry little traffic; lakes and rivers ice free from May to September) (2010)

Military Branches

Mongolian Armed Forces (Mongol ulsyn zevsegt huchin): Mongolian Army, Mongolian Air Force (2016)

Military Expenditures

0.72% of GDP (2017)

0.92% of GDP (2016)

0.87% of GDP (2015)

0.86% of GDP (2014)

0.82% of GDP (2013)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 1-year conscript service obligation in army or air forces or police for males only; after conscription, soldiers can contract into military service for 2 or 4 years; citizens can also voluntarily join the armed forces (2017)

Disputes International

none

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

stateless persons

17 (2017)