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

Health

live 0.8 years longer

In Vanuatu, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 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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see 7.9 times more spent on your healthcare

Vanuatu spends $141 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mongolia spends $1,109 as of 2023.

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have 25.2 times more doctors per person

Vanuatu has 1.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Mongolia has 41.3 as of 2022.

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have 38.3% more access to essential health services

Vanuatu scores 47 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mongolia scores 65 as of 2021.

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be 11.2% more likely to be obese

In Vanuatu, 22.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mongolia, that number is 25.1% of people as of 2024.

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be 17.6% more likely to die by suicide

Vanuatu has a suicide rate of 15.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mongolia, it is 18.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 76.0% more money

Vanuatu has a GDP per capita of $4,039 as of 2025, while in Mongolia, the GDP per capita is $7,108 as of 2025.

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be 70.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Vanuatu, 15.9% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Mongolia, however, that number is 27.1% as of 2022.

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Life

be 59.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Vanuatu, approximately 100.0 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 12.1% more likely to be literate

In Vanuatu, the literacy rate is 88.0% as of 2023. In Mongolia, it is 98.6% as of 2024.

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be 22.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Vanuatu, approximately 14.4 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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have 38.9% fewer children

In Vanuatu, there are approximately 27.6 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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Basic Needs

be 62.3% more likely to have access to electricity

In Vanuatu, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (88% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Mongolia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 21.8% more likely to have internet access

In Vanuatu, approximately 69.9% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Mongolia, about 85.1% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 31.8% less on education

Vanuatu spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Mongolia spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 47.3% more on healthcare

Vanuatu spends 4.1% 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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Safety

be 17.9 times more likely to be murdered

Vanuatu has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Mongolia, that number is 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 13.6 times more home broadband

Vanuatu has 1.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mongolia has 15.8 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 2.1 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Vanuatu, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Mongolia, it causes 120.0 as of 2019.

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emit 9.0 times more CO2

Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mongolia emits 7.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). 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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