01
Physical geography
Vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central.
Local timeUlaanbaatar ·
Asia / Eastern Asia · Card 028
Mongolia
Mongolia is a country in Eastern Asia. Its capital is Ulaanbaatar.
Find Mongolia
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Ulaanbaatar
- Languages
- Mongolian
- Currency
- Mongolian tögrög (MNT)
- Population
- 3.6 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 1,564,110 km²603,906 square miles
- Independence declared
- 1911
Mongolia in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Ulaanbaatar; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Mongolian.
03
Location
Northern Asia, between China and Russia.
Flag
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
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Mongolian Parliament
History & independence
Mongolia declared independence from Qing rule in 1911, followed by years of competing influence and conflict. A Soviet-aligned people’s republic was established in 1924. Peaceful political change in 1990 led to multiparty elections and a new constitution in 1992.
-
Independence declared
-
People’s republic established
-
Democratic constitution adopted
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Mongolian Parliament
Economy
Main activities
Mining, livestock herding, trade and services are major activities. Coal, copper and other minerals are important exports; weather and demand from neighboring markets strongly affect livelihoods.
Industry and production
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
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Mongolian Parliament
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people3.62025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,295,272 | 1.295 |
| 1980 | 1,701,335 | 1.701 |
| 1990 | 2,098,710 | 2.099 |
| 2000 | 2,388,299 | 2.388 |
| 2010 | 2,738,622 | 2.739 |
| 2020 | 3,327,204 | 3.327 |
| 2025 | 3,568,978 | 3.569 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars17.42025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3,826,905,841 | 3.827 |
| 1991 | 3,494,212,070 | 3.494 |
| 1992 | 3,170,771,528 | 3.171 |
| 1993 | 3,070,296,388 | 3.070 |
| 1994 | 3,135,828,262 | 3.136 |
| 1995 | 3,335,782,059 | 3.336 |
| 1996 | 3,410,339,918 | 3.410 |
| 1997 | 3,543,231,097 | 3.543 |
| 1998 | 3,661,572,769 | 3.662 |
| 1999 | 3,773,996,565 | 3.774 |
| 2000 | 3,817,248,911 | 3.817 |
| 2001 | 3,929,961,222 | 3.930 |
| 2002 | 4,115,965,440 | 4.116 |
| 2003 | 4,404,273,778 | 4.404 |
| 2004 | 4,872,245,747 | 4.872 |
| 2005 | 5,225,662,153 | 5.226 |
| 2006 | 5,672,782,077 | 5.673 |
| 2007 | 6,254,129,712 | 6.254 |
| 2008 | 6,810,770,268 | 6.811 |
| 2009 | 6,724,368,909 | 6.724 |
| 2010 | 7,152,385,862 | 7.152 |
| 2011 | 8,389,088,994 | 8.389 |
| 2012 | 9,422,609,645 | 9.423 |
| 2013 | 10,520,241,545 | 10.520 |
| 2014 | 11,349,786,312 | 11.350 |
| 2015 | 11,619,892,591 | 11.620 |
| 2016 | 11,793,003,948 | 11.793 |
| 2017 | 12,457,761,003 | 12.458 |
| 2018 | 13,422,599,720 | 13.423 |
| 2019 | 14,174,566,537 | 14.175 |
| 2020 | 13,528,524,951 | 13.529 |
| 2021 | 13,749,955,732 | 13.750 |
| 2022 | 14,441,951,079 | 14.442 |
| 2023 | 15,513,848,973 | 15.514 |
| 2024 | 16,308,475,359 | 16.308 |
| 2025 | 17,424,613,413 | 17.425 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.747High human developmentRank 104 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.593
20000.611
20100.714
20200.741
20230.747
71.7 yearsLife expectancy at birth
9.4 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary republic with a directly elected president. The prime minister heads the government, and the State Great Hural is the single-chamber legislature.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Mongolian Parliament
Knowledge check
Three questions about Mongolia.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Mongolia?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Mongolian Parliament
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.