If you lived in Mongolia instead of Japan, you would:

Health

have 55.9% more doctors per person

Japan has 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Mongolia has 41.3 as of 2022.

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live 11.6 years less

In Japan, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Mongolia, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 4.3 times more likely to be obese

In Japan, 5.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mongolia, that number is 25.1% of people as of 2024.

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see 79.3% less spent on your healthcare

Japan spends $5,365 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mongolia spends $1,109 as of 2023.

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have 21.7% less access to essential health services

Japan scores 83 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mongolia scores 65 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mongolia, that number is 5.2% as of 2025.

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make 80.2% less money

Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in Mongolia, the GDP per capita is $7,108 as of 2025.

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Life

have 3.0 times more children

In Japan, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mongolia, there are 16.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 13.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Japan, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Mongolia, 41.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 6.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In Japan, approximately 1.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Mongolia, on the other hand, 11.2 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 13.2% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Japan, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Mongolia, 86% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 43.5% less on healthcare

Japan spends 10.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Mongolia, that number is 6.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 56.0% more on education

Japan spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Mongolia spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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Safety

be 25.7 times more likely to be murdered

Japan has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Mongolia, that number is 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 15.3% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night

In Japan, 83% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Mongolia, that number is 71% as of 2022.

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be 4.6 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Japan, road accidents kill 2.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mongolia, they kill 12.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 90.7% less strain on fresh water

Japan withdraws 37% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mongolia withdraws 3% as of 2022.

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find 59.2% less home broadband

Japan has 38.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Mongolia has 15.8 as of 2024.

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use 63.8% less electricity

Japan uses 7,530 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Mongolia uses 2,728 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 10.0 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Japan, air pollution causes 12.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Mongolia, it causes 120.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Mongolia: At a glance

Mongolia is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 1,553,556 sq km. The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under Chinggis KHAAN they established a huge Eurasian empire through conquest. After his death the empire was divided into several powerful Mongol states, but these broke apart in the 14th century. The Mongols eventually retired to their original steppe homelands and in the late 17th century came under Chinese rule. Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing and a communist regime was installed in 1924. The modern country of Mongolia, however, represents only part of the Mongols' historical homeland; more ethnic Mongolians live in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China than in Mongolia. Following a peaceful democratic revolution, the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) won elections in 1990 and 1992, but was defeated by the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) in the 1996 parliamentary election. The MPRP won an overwhelming majority in the 2000 parliamentary election, but the party lost seats in the 2004 election and shared power with democratic coalition parties from 2004-08. The MPRP regained a solid majority in the 2008 parliamentary elections but nevertheless formed a coalition government with the Democratic Party that lasted until January 2012. In 2009, current President ELBEGDORJ of the Democratic Party was elected to office and was re-elected for his second term in June 2013. In 2010, the MPRP voted to retake the name of the Mongolian People's Party (MPP), a name it used in the early 1920s. Shortly thereafter, a new party was formed by former president ENKHBAYAR, which adopted the MPRP name. In the 2012 Parliamentary elections, a coalition of four political parties led by the Democratic Party, gained control of the Parliament.
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