Land use in Mongolia
Mongolia: Land use was 1.15 million hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1.15 million hectares
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
111th
of 224 countries
All-time high
1.38 million hectares
in 1989
All-time low
624,000 hectares
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use in Mongolia, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for land use in Mongolia is 1.15 million hectares, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Mongolia peaked at 1.38 million hectares in 1989 and was at its lowest, 624,000 hectares, in 1961.
That places Mongolia 111th out of 224 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Land use in Mongolia, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 624,000 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 724,000 hectares | +16.0% |
| 1963 | 729,000 hectares | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 850,000 hectares | +16.6% |
| 1965 | 867,000 hectares | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 885,000 hectares | +2.1% |
| 1967 | 819,000 hectares | -7.5% |
| 1968 | 777,000 hectares | -5.1% |
| 1969 | 746,000 hectares | -4.0% |
| 1970 | 744,000 hectares | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 775,000 hectares | +4.2% |
| 1972 | 776,000 hectares | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 789,000 hectares | +1.7% |
| 1974 | 801,000 hectares | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 827,000 hectares | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 950,000 hectares | +14.9% |
| 1977 | 1.10 million hectares | +15.8% |
| 1978 | 1.15 million hectares | +4.9% |
| 1979 | 1.16 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 1.18 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 1.21 million hectares | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 1.25 million hectares | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 1.31 million hectares | +5.0% |
| 1984 | 1.33 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 1.35 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 1.31 million hectares | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 1.33 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 1.37 million hectares | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 1.38 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 1.37 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 1.37 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 1.36 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 1.35 million hectares | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 1.32 million hectares | -2.3% |
| 1995 | 1.32 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.32 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1.23 million hectares | -7.1% |
| 1998 | 1.35 million hectares | +9.7% |
| 1999 | 1.19 million hectares | -11.6% |
| 2000 | 1.18 million hectares | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 1.18 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 1.18 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 1.18 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.18 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 1.18 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 1.18 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 1.18 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 1.20 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 1.22 million hectares | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 1.24 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 1.29 million hectares | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 1.32 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 1.29 million hectares | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 1.32 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 1.33 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 1.33 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 1.33 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.33 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 1.12 million hectares | -16.2% |
| 2020 | 1.13 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 1.13 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 1.14 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 1.15 million hectares | +0.8% |
Mongolia compared with similar countries
- Mongolia's 1.15 million hectares is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.58 million hectares, 73% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Mongolia's 1.15 million hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 141,800 hectares, 8.1× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 780,111 hectares | 624,000 hectares | 885,000 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 907,600 hectares | 744,000 hectares | 1.16 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.30 million hectares | 1.18 million hectares | 1.38 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.32 million hectares | 1.19 million hectares | 1.37 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.18 million hectares | 1.18 million hectares | 1.22 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.29 million hectares | 1.12 million hectares | 1.33 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.14 million hectares | 1.13 million hectares | 1.15 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mongolia
- 108 Slovakia 1.32 million hectares compare
- 109 Haiti 1.30 million hectares compare
- 110 Papua New Guinea 1.22 million hectares compare
- 112 Somalia 1.13 million hectares compare
- 113 Tajikistan 1.05 million hectares compare
- 114 Netherlands 1.04 million hectares compare
More environment data for Mongolia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.5 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.27 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.602 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.37 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 11.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 1.42 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in Mongolia?
- Land use in Mongolia was 1.15 million hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land use recorded in Mongolia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.38 million hectares in 1989.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Mongolia?
- The lowest recorded value was 624,000 hectares in 1961.
- How does Mongolia rank for land use?
- Mongolia ranks 111th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Mongolia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mongolia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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