Mongolia
Mongolia exhibits mid-range performance across all categories of the Global State of Democracy framework. It is amongst the world’s top 25 per cent of performers in Elected Government and Freedom of Movement. Compared to five years ago, it saw significant declines in Civil Liberties, Economic Equality, Freedom of Expression, Free Political Parties, and Freedom of the Press. This is likely a result of weak political parties operating in a dominant-party system, coupled with recent efforts by the government to restrict the country’s civic space. Mongolia is a lower-middle income country that is one of the most sparsely populated in the world, but the post-2001 mining boom has radically reorganized its historic reliance on agriculture and livestock. The mining-induced ten-fold increase in GDP per capita since 2000 has also caused environmental issues and a historic mass migration to the capital, Ulaanbaatar, which has nearly tripled in population since 1998. The fall of the Soviet Union spurred Mongolia’s transition to a multi-party democracy and market system in 1990, culminating in the adoption of a new constitution in 1992.
Pastoralism forms an intrinsic part of the nation’s identity, and as of 2020, about one quarter of the workforce are nomadic herders. Almost three-quarters of the country is publicly-owned pastureland, and questions of land use, ownership, possession, and conservation have long been key sites of political contestation. These conflicts were exacerbated by the mining boom, which pits traditional pastoralism against intrusive mining projects and has also seen nomadic herders take up small-scale artisanal mining to preserve a non-sedentary way of life. Mining wealth remains unevenly distributed, with the state working to both balance conflicting rural economic priorities and combat pervasive poverty among the hundreds of thousands of new residents of the capital.
The mining sector has been marred by corruption from the time mineral deposits were discovered, with more recent public protests around corruption allegations in the coal industry. These issues are set in the broader context of increasing lack of public trust in government – the younger generation is increasingly frustrated by economic inequalities and the lack of economic opportunity, culminating in mass youth-led protests in April 2022. Mongolia has also experienced relative political instability, an issue various parties have sought to address through constitutional amendments changing vote allocations, the number of parliamentarians in the Cabinet, and the balance of power between the president and the prime minister, notably in 2019 and most recently in 2022. In this context, journalists are routinely harassed and detained through use of broad defamation laws, and in 2024 an opposition candidate was beaten to death during the legislative election campaign.
While female unemployment rates have been low in comparison to the male unemployment rates, women at work still face sexual harassment and pay inequity. A United Nations survey from 2017 found “extremely high rates of intimate partner and non-partner violence against women” across the country. Women’s political participation has increased in recent elections, but at 18 per cent, women’s representation in parliament remains slightly below regional and global averages.
In the next several years, it will be important to watch Representation and the ways in which the government addresses public demands for more diverse representation. It will also be important to watch the Rights factors for any further declines, particularly in light of proposed social media restrictions. The performance with regard to Absence of Corruption will also be impacted by recent efforts to tackle corruption in the mining sector and other legal and policy commitments in 2023 to combat graft.
Last Updated: June 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
March 2025
Press freedom concerns deepen over independent news outlet raid
On 17 March, Mongolian authorities raided the independent media outlet Noorog, confiscating hardware and personal belongings while interrogating several staff members. While authorities initially accused Noorog of undermining national unity, they changed the specifics of the accusations multiple times. Several journalists were reportedly detained without due process or legal representation. Media experts view the search as a serious attack on press freedom and free speech, particularly following the outlet's announcement of an upcoming documentary on the 2024 parliamentary election. The State Prosecutor’s Office later stated that the legal basis for the detentions was not justified and refused the request for immediate arrests. An investigation into the raids is ongoing, with rights experts noting that this incident marks a concerning decline in press freedom, following the prosecution and arrests of other journalists in the past year.
Sources: Reporters without Borders, The Diplomat, The UB Post, International IDEA, GoGo Mongolia, Asia Democracy Chronicles
November 2024
Prominent journalist sentenced under closed-door trials
On 7 November, an appeals court upheld a verdict sentencing journalist Naran Unurtsetseg to four years and nine months in prison, following an initial verdict in July. Unurtsetseg, editor-in-chief of the news site Zarig, was convicted of contempt of court, illegally obtaining state secrets, tax evasion, disclosing personal information and spreading misinformation. Known for her critical reporting on corruption, political scandals, and military violence, Unurtsetseg previously faced 16 defamation suits between 2019 and 2020. Press freedom advocates and local civil society groups criticized the closed-door trials, noting it could lead to self-censorship among journalists and that these cases underscore the urgent need for legal reform to Mongolia's criminal code to protect press freedom. Unurtsetseg denies all charges and the grounds for her charges remain undisclosed.
Update: On 8 March 2025, President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh granted a pardon to Unurtsetseg along with three other women in honour of International Women’s Day. The decision absolves Unurtsetseg of her prison sentence as she is set to be released. While rights activists have welcomed the step, they continue to condemn the lack of transparency surrounding the circumstances that led to her initial arrest.
Sources: Reporters Without Borders (1), Aki Press News Agency, CIVICUS, VOA News, Reporters Without Borders (2), GoGo Mongolia
June 2024
Ruling party declares victory in parliamentary elections
Mongolia held a parliamentary election on 28 June in which the ruling Mongolian People’s Party secured a slim majority of 68 seats out of 126 seats, while the main opposition Democratic Party secured 42 seats, an increase from previous years where DPP won 11 out of the-then 76 seat body. The election was conducted under a mixed electoral system, following a May 2023 amendment increasing the number of legislators from 76 to 126. Voter turnout stood at 69.8 per cent, down from 73.6 per cent in the 2020 election. A record 32 (25 per cent) female lawmakers were elected to the National Assembly, up from 13 (17.1 per cent) in 2020. Election observers noted that the election was well-organized, fair, and largely peaceful. However, competitiveness was adversely affected by an uneven playing field that favoured the ruling party in the run up to the election.
Sources: General Election Committee of Mongolia, OSCE, International IDEA, Deutsche Welle, Asia News Network
Parliamentary election increases women’s representation and rights of overseas voters
A record 32 (25 per cent) women secured seats in the National Assembly in Mongolia’s parliamentary election held on 28 June, up from 13 (17.1 per cent) in 2020. The increase follows a new quota established in May 2023 mandating that 30 per cent of candidates must be women. In addition, the parliamentary election provided the first opportunity in the country’s history for Mongolians living abroad to exercise its voting rights.
Sources: International IDEA, Asia News Network, IOM Mongolia, Akipress
July 2023
Parliament amends electoral law to increase gender quota
In line with Mongolia's recent constitutional reform to overhaul its electoral system, parliament has moved to amend the Law on Elections to set a minimum quota for women among party candidates to 30 per cent (previously 20 per cent), with the stated aim of increasing it to 40 per cent in the 2028 election. The changes will be enacted from 1 January 2024, and are considered part of Mongolia's ongoing reforms to address long-standing gender-parity issues in political decision-making processes.
Sources: Montsame, The Diplomat, Vip76
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