2021 Edition

Background

The peoples of Mongolia have a long history under a number of nomadic empires dating back to the period of the Xiongnu in the 4th century B.C. The name Mongol goes back to at least the 11th century A.D. The most famous Mongol, TEMÜÜJIN (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 ÖGÖDEI and KHUBILAI (aka Kublai Khan), continued military campaigns of conquest, taking control of 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. Following the collapse of the Manchus in 1911, Mongolia declared its independence, achieving it with help from the Soviet Union in 1921. Mongolia became a socialist state (the Mongolian People’s Republic) in 1924. Following independence and until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, the country was a Soviet satellite state, and heavily reliant on economic, military, and political assistance from Moscow. The period also was marked by periods of 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 eight presidential and nine legislative elections as of 2021. Throughout the period, 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 until it merged with MPP in 2021. In the 2016 parliamentary elections, the MPP won overwhelming control of the Parliament over the DP, which had overseen a sharp decline in Mongolia’s economy during its control of the Parliament in the preceding years. Mongolians elected a DP member, Khaltmaa BATTULGA, as president in 2017. The June 2020 parliamentary elections left the MPP with continued dominant control of the parliament. Mongolians elected former prime minister and MPP member Ukhnaa KHURELSUKH as president in 2021. 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.

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

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

840 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

China 4630 km, Russia 3452 km

total

8,082 km

Land use

agricultural land

73% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 72.6% (2018 est.)

forest

7% (2018 est.)

other

20% (2018 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 kmnote – [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

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

26.96% (male 435,596/female 418,524)

15-24 years

14.93% (male 239,495/female 233,459)

25-54 years

45.29% (male 694,481/female 740,334)

55-64 years

8.04% (male 115,560/female 139,129)

65 years and over

4.78% (male 60,966/female 90,482) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

16.32 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.8% (2018)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

48.1% (2018)

Current Health Expenditure

3.8% (2018)

Death rate

6.28 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.7

potential support ratio

15 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

54.8

youth dependency ratio

48.1

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 59.2% of population

improved: total

total: 85.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 40.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 14.6% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.4% of population

Education expenditures

4.9% of GDP (2019)

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.)

Hospital bed density

8 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

17.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

23.73 deaths/1,000 live births

total

20.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

female

75.49 years (2021 est.)

male

66.88 years

total population

71.08 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.2% (2020)

male

99.1%

total population

99.2%

Major urban areas - population

1.615 million ULAANBAATAR (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

45 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

30.7 years (2020 est.)

male

28.8 years

total

29.8 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.5 years (2008 est.)

note

note: median age at first birth among women 20-24

Nationality

adjective

Mongolian

noun

Mongolian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.6% (2016)

Physicians density

2.86 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

3,198,913 (July 2021 est.)

note

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 distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.93% (2021 est.)

Religions

Buddhist 51.7%, Muslim 3.2%, Shamanist 2.5%, Christian 1.3%, other 0.7%, none 40.6% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 65.1% of population

improved: total

total: 86.5% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 34.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 13.5% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.6% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2019)

male

14 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.94 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.83 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.67 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.93 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

19.5% (2020 est.)

male

16.9%

total

17.9%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

68.8% of total population (2021)

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

etymology

the name means "red hero" in Mongolian and honors national hero Damdin Sukhbaatar, leader of the partisan army that with Soviet Red Army help, liberated Mongolia from Chinese occupation in the early 1920s

geographic coordinates

47 55 N, 106 55 E

name

Ulaanbaatar

time difference

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

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)

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, 2000, 2019

history

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

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 Michael S. KLECHESKI (since 22 February 2019)

email address and website

UlaanbaatarACS@state.govhttps://mn.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Denver Street #3, 11th Micro-District, Ulaanbaatar 14190

FAX

[976] 7007-6174

mailing address

4410 Ulaanbaatar Place, Washington DC  20521-4410

telephone

[976] 7007-6001

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Ulziidelger BATBAYAR (since 8 November 2021)

consulate(s) general

New York, San Francisco

email address and website

washington@mfa.gov.mnhttp://mongolianembassy.us/

FAX

[1] (202) 298-9227

telephone

[1] (202) 333-7117

Executive branch

cabinet

directly appointed by the prime minister following a constitutional amendment ratified in November 2019; prior to the amendment, the cabinet was nominated by the prime minister in consultation with the president and confirmed by the State Great Hural (parliament)

chief of state

President Ukhnaa KHURELSUKH (since 25 June 2021)

election results

Ukhnaa KHURELSUKH elected president in first round; percent of vote - Ukhnaa KHURELSUKH (Mongolian People's Party) 67.7%, Dangaasuren ENKHBAT (HUN Coalition) 20.31%, Sodnomzundui ERDENE (Democratic Party) 5.99%

elections/appointments

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; election last held on 9 June 2021; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the State Great Hural

head of government

Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai OYUN-ERDENE (since 27 January 2021); Deputy Prime Minister Ulziisaikhan ENKHTUVSHIN (since 18 October 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 44.9%, DP 24.5%, Our Coalition 8.1%, independent 8.7%, Right Person Electorate Coalition 5.2%, other 8.5%; seats by party - MPP 62, DP 11, Our Coalition 1, Right Person Electorate Coalition 1; independent 1; composition -  63 men, 13 women; percent of women 17.1%; note - the MPRP, Civil Will-Green Party, and Mongolian Traditionally United Party formed Our Coalition for the 2020 election; the Right Person Electorate Coalition was established in 2020 by the National Labor Party, Mongolian Social Democratic Party, and Justice Party

elections

last held on 24 June 2020 (next to be held in 2024)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Tsendiin DAMDINSUREN/Bilegiin DAMDINSUREN and Luvsanjamts MURJORJ

name

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

note

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 July; Constitution 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 [disputed]Mongolian National Democratic Party or MNDP [Bayanjargal TSOGTGEREL]Mongolian People's Party or MPP [Luvsannamsrai OYUN-ERDENE]Civil Will-Green Party or CWGP [Tserendorj GANKHUYAG] Mongolian Traditionally United Party or MTUP [Batdelgeriin BATBOLD]National Labor Party or HUN [Togmid Dorhkhand]Mongolian Social Democratic Party or MSDP [Adiya GANBAATAR]Justice Party [Batbayar NASANBILEG]

note

note: there are 35 total registered parties as of December 2021

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, wheat, goat milk, potatoes, mutton, sheep milk, beef, goat meat, horse meat, carrots/turnips

Budget

expenditures

3.681 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

2.967 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B (2018)

Moody's rating

B3 (2018)

Standard & Poors rating

B (2018)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$700 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$1.155 billion (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$28.046 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$29.945 billion (2019 est.)

Economic 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

currency

togrog/tugriks (MNT) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

1,817.9 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

1,970.3 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

2,140.3 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

2,140.3 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

2,378.1 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$7.71 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$8.42 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$7.65 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

coal, copper, gold, iron, crude petroleum (2019)

Exports - partners

China 81%, Switzerland 9% (2019)

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.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2008

36.5 (2008)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

32.7 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

5.7% (2017)

lowest 10%

13.7%

Imports

Imports 2018

$8.48 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$9.25 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$7.34 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, delivery trucks, construction vehicles, aircraft (2019)

Imports - partners

China 31%, Russia 29%, Japan 10%, South Korea 5% (2019)

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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

0.5% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

4.6% (2017 est.)

Labor force

1.241 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

31.1%

industry

18.5%

services

50.5% (2016)

Population below poverty line

28.4% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

90% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

91.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$37.77 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$39.72 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$37.6 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

2.4% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

1.2% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

5.1% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$11,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$12,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$11,500 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$1.296 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$3.016 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

26.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

7.9% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

8% (2017 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

19.5% (2020 est.)

male

16.9%

total

17.9%

Crude oil - exports

14,360 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

20,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

NA bbl (1 January 2017)

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.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

73% (2019)

electrification - total population

91% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

99% (2019)

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

9.37 (2020 est.)

total

307,166 (2020)

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 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

62.5% (2020 est.)

total

2.01 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

very low fixed-line teledensity 12 per 100; there are four mobile-cellular providers and subscribership is increasing with 137 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

liberalized and competitive telecom market; steady growth in mobile broadband, but fixed-line broadband is still an economical option; installation of a fiber-optic network improved broadband and communication services between major urban centers; compared to other Asian countries, Mongolia's growth in telecom is moderate; mobile broadband rate is growing through competition among operators with reasonable tariffs; launch of 4G LTE services by all major operators; South Korean investment in landline and cellular services; partner in China’s economic corridor project; import of broadcasting equipment from China (2020)

international

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

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4.89 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

160,153 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

133.1 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

4,363,919 (2020)

Airports

total

44 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m

10

over 3,047 m

2

total

15

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

24

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

over 3,047 m

2

total

29

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

JU

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 4, container ship 7, general cargo 131, oil tanker 64, other 96 (2021)

total

302

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

7.82 million mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

670,360 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

12

number of registered air carriers

4 (2020)

Railways

broad gauge

1,815 km 1.520-m gauge (2017)

note

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

total

1,815 km (2017)

Roadways

paved

10,600 km (2017)

total

113,200 km (2017)

unpaved

102,600 km (2017)

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 - note

Mongolia has been engaged in dialogue and cooperation with NATO since 2005 and is considered by NATO to be a global partner; Mongolia supported the NATO-led Kosovo Force from 2005-2007 and contributed troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan from 2009-2014, as well as to the follow-on Resolute Support Mission that provided training, advice, and other assistance to the Afghan security forces (2015-2021)

Military and security forces

Mongolian Armed Forces (Mongol ulsyn zevsegt huchin): General Purpose Troops (Mongolian Army), Air/Air Defense Force, Cyber Security, Special Forces, Civil Engineering, Civil Defense Forces; Border Troops; Internal Security TroopsMinistry of Justice and Home Affairs: National Police Agency, General Authority for Border Protection (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

estimates vary; approximately 9,000 active duty troops (2021)

Military deployments

870 South Sudan (UNMISS) (Oct 2021)

note

note - from 2003 to July 2021, some 3,300 Mongolian troops served in Afghanistan, including about 1,300 since 2015 under the NATO-led mission Resolute Support Mission

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the MAF are armed with Soviet-era equipment supplemented by deliveries of second-hand Russian weapons (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

0.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Military Expenditures 2017

0.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

0.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

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 (can be exchanged for a 24‐month stint in the civil service or a tax voucher); after conscription, soldiers can contract into military service for 2 or 4 years; citizens can also voluntarily join the armed forces (2021)

Disputes - international

none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons

17 (2019)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

25.37 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

13.72 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

40.42 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)

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

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

73% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 72.6% (2018 est.)

forest

7% (2018 est.)

other

20% (2018 est.)

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 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

8.62% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.14% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

34.8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

250.9 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

166.2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

45.3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

68.8% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2.9 million tons (2016 est.)