About Mongolia

Mongolia, with a land area of about 1.6 million sq. km. and a population of about 3.0 million is the world’s most sparsely populated country. The land ranges from desert to semi-desert to grassy steppe, with mountains in the west and south-west. Arable land is estimated to constitute only 0.8 percent of this vast country. Landlocked between Russia and China, Mongolia has shown steady growth in the recent years. GDP per capita increased over the years and Mongolia is now a middle-income country.

Development trends

After recovering quickly from a brief but difficult period in 2008-09, Mongolia’s economy is growing at a fast pace. Driven by the mining sector, the economy grew at more than 16% in the first quarter of 2012 and on average has grown at more than 9% in the last decade. With the expected launch of new large-scale mining projects, Mongolia is likely to witness rapid growth. Mongolia has a unique chance to achieve development progress that is almost unprecedented globally. However, processing and manufacturing capacity are limited and exports are dominated by raw materials.  To achieve its potential, Mongolia needs to balance immediate investment needs with long-term sustainability concerns.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are strongly embedded at the policy level, adopted by a Parliament Resolution in 2005 and then formed the basis for the MDG-based Comprehensive National Development Strategy (NDS) of 2008-21. Mongolia is one of the few countries to have a ninth MDG to emphasize democratic governance and human rights as necessary conditions for the achievement of all the MDGs.

After registering double-digit economic growth in the last three years, 2014 was marked by economic slowdown and political changes. In the first 9 months of 2014, GDP growth was down to 7% from over 12% a year ago. Inflation has remained high and the tugruk has depreciated significantly against the US dollar while FDI has continued to decline. Towards the end of 2014, significant political changes took place. A new PM and a new Government took office in end-November and a new Cabinet was formed within a new government structure.

The Parliament passed the national Green Development Strategy and other laws in 2014, including the laws on minerals, preservation of cultural heritage, and budget transparency (‘Glass Account’). The Law on Glass Account requires public organizations to disclose publicly budgetary revenue and expenditure. However, many key laws are with Parliament awaiting further debate and approval.

Mongolia's HDI rank increased by 3 positions in 2014, and it is now ranked 103 and shares the top position among medium human development countries. The fifth MDG Progress Report estimated that in spite of within-country variations, Mongolia has achieved, or is on track on, more than 70 percent of the MDG targets. Mongolia’s rank slightly declined in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap index to 42nd out of 142 countries in 2014 with the sub-index of political empowerment ranked 103rd out of 142 countries. Mongolia has improved in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index from 83rd place in 2013 to 80th place in 2014.

Mongolia continued its support to south-south collaboration. The Landlocked Developing Countries Think Tank is operational and the Mongolia International Cooperation Agency was set up. 

Work has begun on drafting a new 'Vision' for the country to replace the Phase II of the MDG-based Comprehensive National Development Strategy. 

History

The 40 metres Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue on horseback on the bank of the Tuul River at Tsonjin Boldog (54 km east of the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar).

Modern humans reached Mongolia approximately 40,000 years ago. In 1206 Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire which became the largest land empire in world history. Mongolia later came under Chinese rule and won its independence from China in 1921. The Mongolian People's Republic was then established with Soviet influence. Mongolia became a UN member state in 1961. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Mongolia saw its own relatively peaceful democratic revolution in the early 1990’s which led to a multi-party system, a new constitution of 1992, and a transition to a market economy. This transition resulted in an upheaval of structures that had been in place for 70 years and saw Mongolia's trade with Russia decline by 80% and had a strong impact on peoples’ lives.

Throughout history, livestock raising by nomadic herders has been the major economic activity. In the early 20th century industrialization began, spurred by the Soviet Union and largely based on wool processing and extraction of minerals, mainly coal, copper, gold and fluorspar.