Population Settlement Changes Due to Migration Impacts in Mongolia

Abstract

In 1990, Mongolia experienced a volatile change in the social, political, and economic aspects of its society. In particular, inequality, poverty, and unemployment increased exponentially and the differences in development between urban and rural areas increased sharply. During this period population migration intensified, particularly in rural to urban migration. Mongolia shifted from a socialist to a market economy, and social-economic attitudes also has shifted towards "settled life" as resettlements intensified. Many nomadic herders have migrated to their respective province centers, as well as to other mining and industrial centers, in order to benefit from developing infrastructure in these settlements. This process has negatively affected goals of sustainable population settlement, and created an over-concentration of the population in province centers and the country's largest cities. The strongest effect of this migration flow comes in sustaining rural settlements, and has a significant impact on population concentration in larger urban areas. In this way, there is a practical need for an in-depth study of natural and socioeconomic factors affecting Mongolia's population migration processes. This study highlights the results of intensified population settlement and urbanization in Mongolia. These processes have created major challenges for policy makers. Therefore, this study investigates how socioeconomic factors in Mongolia, affect the settlement and resettlement of Mongolia's population. We conclude with an assessment of population settlement in future trends.