According to 2015 statistics, 68 percent of Mongolia’s population live in urban areas and of those 46 percent live in Ulaanbaatar. There is an international standard saying that if more than 50 percent of a nation’s population live in cities, then the country is considered to have a high level of urbanization. Mongolia therefore has a relatively higher level of urbanization compared to other countries. The capital city occupies only 0.3 percent of the total land area of the country, yet population growth in the city is 3-4 percent annually on average and this trend does not seem to be slowing down.

Ulaanbaatar has grown to become the economic and social development center of Mongolia. About 62 percent of total GDP is produced in Ulaanbaatar.

One can say that Ulaanbaatar is the face of Mongolia, and a reflection of the country’s development level. The ultimate mission of the city should thus be to become a city that prioritizes the needs of its citizens, assuring healthy, safe and comfortable living environments.

The development of the capital city directly depends on the development of its districts. On the other hand, citizen participation and cooperation promise to be foundations for stable and effective long-term development. Properly addressing development levels in the capital, in particular the districts is a priority. Compiling a participatory and comprehensive database, which would be useful in defining effective future agendas and plans for the ever growing city, is needed. The Economic Policy and Competitiveness Research Center has taken the initiative to study the current development level of the capital city. The competitiveness of the districts of Ulaanbaatar have been analysed according to five main factors: quality of life, living environment, safety and security, governance and economic performance – altogether comprising over 150 individual criteria.

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