Mongolia

Over the past 25 years, Mongolia has transformed into a vibrant democracy. The country’s official national poverty rate has fluctuated since 2010. Between 2016 and 2018, poverty reduction was uneven, declining in rural but not in urban areas. Growth in rural areas was faster and favourable to the poor, contributing to reducing rural poverty from 34.9% in 2016 to 30.8% in 2018 supported by rising livestock prices and expansion of poverty-targeted social protection programs. By contrast, the urban poverty rate remained unchanged at 27% from 2016 to 2018, mainly driven by stagnant wage growth in the poorest population group. Consequently, poverty is increasingly concentrated in urban areas.