Demographics
Mongolia is the fifth largest country in Asia, with a total area of 1.565 million square kilometres. In 2007, the population reached 2.6 million, giving an overall population density of 1.7 persons per square kilometre, making it the least densely populated country in the world.
The population is predominantly young, with 28.6% under the age of 15 years, 67% between five and 64 years of age, and only 4.1% 65 years or over. Of the total population, 61% is living in cities. Males comprise 48.7% of the total population. The adult literacy rate is reported to be 97.8%.
Since 1990, Mongolia has been undergoing a demographic transition defined by a reduction in fertility and death rates and an increase in ageing. The population growth rate decreased from 2.7% in 1990 to 1.17% in 2003-2006. In 2007, the rate reached 1.55%.
The crude birth rate per 1000 population fell by half from 1990 to 2003, from 35.3 to 18. It then remained fairly stable, before increasing to 21.7 in 2007. The total fertility rate fell by half during the period from 2000 to 2003 compared with the rate (4.3) in 1990. The rate was stable at 1.9 from 2004 to 2006, before increasing to 2.36 in 2007.
Due to increased urbanization and socioeconomic development in recent years, rural-to-urban migration has been increasing. In 2007, 39.4% of the population were residing in rural areas, a decrease from 42.8% in 2000.
Political situation
Mongolia is a democratic parliamentary country. The centralized governmental structure is divided into three branches: the executive, which is the Government, chaired by the Prime Minister; the legislative, represented at the national level by the Ikh Khural (the Parliament); and the judicial, led by the Supreme Court.
The President of Mongolia is a figurehead for the country and is directly elected for a four-year term. Political parties that have seats in Parliament are eligible to nominate their candidates to the Presidential election. Although most political power is held by the Prime Minister and Parliament, the President is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and heads the National Security Council, as well as appointing all the judges, the Prosecutor General, the Deputy Prosecutor General and ambassadors. The parliamentary and presidential elections take place once every four years and will next be held in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
Socioeconomic situation
The Mongolian Statistical Yearbook shows that, in 2006, total government revenue increased by 23.9% more than expected due to increases in the prices of gold and copper on the world market. Compared with 2005, social security expenditure in the current year increased by 31% and social assistance expenditure by 79.2% as a result of increases in salaries, pensions and welfare payments, while government expenditure and net lending increased by 2.3% more than expected. The government budget surplus has been increasing since 1999. The budget surplus as a percentage of GDP was 9.2% in 2005; in 2006, it increased by 2.5 points to 11.7%, based on preliminary GDP figures.
The main pillar of Mongolia’s economy is still agriculture, including livestock husbandry, which plays an important role in the economy, employment and export revenues of the country. To date, 20.2% of GDP is produced by the agricultural sector, 90.1% of it from livestock husbandry. The preliminary GDP figures for 2006 show an increase of 8.4% or 112.9 billion tugriks (US$ 97 million) compared with the previous year, 4.4% of the increase coming from the service sector, 2% from the industrial sector and 2% from the agricultural sector. Per capita GDP at current prices has reached 1.23 million tugriks (US$ 1065.14), an increase of 239 500 tugriks (US$ 207.36) compared with 2005.
The report of 2006 Household Income and Expenditure Survey indicates that monthly average household income has increased by 16.4% in terms of 2005 prices. Comparison of poverty incidence, based on the results of the 2006 Household Income and Expenditure Survey and the 2002-2003 Living Standard Measurement Survey, shows that the poverty headcount, the poverty gap and poverty severity have all decreased since 2002.
The main indicator showing labour-market development and the economic activities of the population is the labour force participation rate. The rate reached 64.4% in 2006, a 0.9% increase from 2005. The number of people registered as unemployed remains at the same level as the previous year, with females accounting for 57%.
Vulnerabilities and hazards
Mongolia has a unique geographical structure, with steppes, semi-deserts and deserts, high mountain ranges and dry, lake-dotted basins. The climatic conditions are predominantly reflected by its desert steppe, with diverse soil and vegetation patterns, by its range of natural biological features, and by its geomorphological structure. The climate is defined as semi-arid continental, with dry and very dry and cool-to-warm ranges. The average altitude is 1580 metres above sea level and the average rainfall is 203 millimetres per year. The country is prone to natural hazards, including drought, flood, steppe and forest fires, and human and animal epidemic diseases. As the Mongolian economy is heavily reliant on herding and agriculture, harsh winters and periodic droughts, not only have adverse effects on livestock and agriculture, but also on the health status of the disaster-affected population.
Policy measures have been taken in recent years to improve emergency preparedness and response. The Disaster Protection Law was approved by Parliament in 2003. Subsequently, the State General Directorate for Emergency was established in 2004 by integrating the State Board of Civil Defence, the Fire Fighting Department and the State Reserve Authority and, in 2005, was reorganized as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which is responsible for nationwide disaster response. The annual report of NEMA indicates that, in 2007, a total of 228 steppe and forest fires were registered, affecting 1.3 million hectares of land and causing the loss of 338.8 billion tugriks (US$ 239 million). In the same year, 41 natural hazards, such as storms, flood, heavy rain and thunder occurred, resulting in the deaths of 16 people and 10 200 head of livestock.