Mongolia

The health care system in Mongolia is in transition, moving away from a comprehensive yet out-dated Soviet model to a more private sector-focused approach. This shift, combined with the government’s openness to public-private partnerships, indicates an opening for foreign investors to make gains in this sector. Key challenges including fighting non-communicable, lifestyle diseases, and bridging...

Mongolia’s tourism industry has blossomed under a laissez-faire regime that allows private ownership and operation of facilities and tour companies. Leisure tourists, who number approximately 90,000 annually, visit the Central Asian countries for its unspoiled natural beauty and unique cultural attractions. Traditional tourists make up only a small fraction of those who visit Mongolia every year...

Agriculture, particularly herding, is the traditional foundation of Mongolia’s economy and culture. Even today, the sector supplies 20% of GDP and employs 35-40% of its population. But the transition to modernity has been jarring, with Soviet experiments in collectivised farming and a modern emphasis on producing for export. Cashmere wool has been the true success story here, earning $180m in...

The Mongolian construction industry has seen a surge of activity in the past two years. The driver is government spending, particularly the New Development Programme, which will address roads, railways, affordable housing, rural development and industrial development schemes, with a price tag of some $28.6bn. One key part of this is the 100,000 houses project, which represent an attempt to offer...

Landlocked in part by its rapidly industrialising neighbour, China, Mongolia’s potential for manufacturing and other industry is limited by factors beyond its control. The government has responded to these challenges by focusing on areas of competitive advantage. Cashmere, for which Mongolia could supply up to 30% of the world, has proven an excellent export commodity, and producers are hoping to...

The communications sector in Mongolia has grown rapidly, with wireless telephony saturating the market within a decade of its introduction. The challenge now for providers is figuring out how to further monetise their customers, who generally have low incomes. Some companies are focusing on bundling, offering internet access and television along with phone subscriptions. On the IT side, the...