Market Research Companies in Mongolia

Key figures for researchers

Population

3,546,700 (end of 2024)¹

Ulaanbaatar

45.9% of the population lives in the capital (2020 census)²

Urban population

67.8%, or 2.17 million people (2020 census)²

Households

897,427, 3.6 people on average; 38.2% live in gers (2020 census)²

Ethnic groups

Khalkh 83.8%, Kazakh 3.8% (2020 census)²

Median age

27.9 years (2020 census)²

Households with livestock

247,800 (end of 2023)³

Livestock

58.1 million head (end of 2025)⁴

Internet users

85.1% of individuals (2024)⁵

GDP per capita

about US$7,100 (2025)⁶

Research guide

Research landscape

Ulaanbaatar, home to 45.9% of the population at the 2020 census, is where most clients, research teams and fieldwork coordination are based. Regional centres such as Erdenet and Darkhan are often added to urban samples, while studies across the 21 provinces (aimags) need field teams able to travel long distances. Mongolia covers 1,564,116 square kilometres and is the most sparsely populated country in the world, which weighs on the cost and duration of rural fieldwork.

A common quality reference is the ICC/ESOMAR International Code, revised in 2025 (fifth edition) and endorsed by over 60 associations in more than 50 countries. Its principles include honesty and transparency, care for participants, and clear information on how personal data will be collected, used and protected.

Languages and fieldwork

Mongolian is the official language. Under the Law on the Mongolian Language (2015), official affairs are conducted in Cyrillic script, and since 1 January 2025 state and local bodies must also use the traditional Mongolian script alongside Cyrillic. Survey questionnaires for the public are usually written in Cyrillic Mongolian. Kazakhs make up 3.8% of the population (2020 census), mainly in Bayan-Ölgii province in the far west, where many people speak Kazakh as their mother tongue: studies there may need a Kazakh version.

At the 2020 census, 67.8% of people lived in urban areas and 38.2% of households lived in gers, the traditional felt tent. Rural Mongolia is largely a herding economy: 247,800 households owned livestock at the end of 2023, and the national herd reached 58.1 million head at the end of 2025. A national sample therefore needs quotas by province and settlement type (capital, provincial centres, soum centres and rural areas), and herder households may move with the seasons.

Which methods work

Connectivity is high in the cities: 85.1% of individuals used the internet in 2024. At the 2020 census, 87.8% of people aged 6 and over used a mobile phone, and internet use was 72.4% in urban areas against 49.3% in rural areas. Online and mobile surveys work well for Ulaanbaatar and urban consumer targets.

For national and rural studies, telephone (CATI) and face-to-face interviews remain needed, especially to reach herder households and older people. Face-to-face fieldwork in remote areas requires vehicles, travel time and careful scheduling. In-person focus groups are usually held in Ulaanbaatar.

Timing

Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New Year) is a three-day public holiday at the start of the first spring month of the lunar calendar, when families visit each other: avoid fieldwork in that week. In 2027 it is expected to start on 7 February, and holiday calendars list days off from 6 to 9 February; check the official dates before fixing fieldwork. Naadam, the national festival, is a public holiday from 10 to 15 July under the law on public holidays; in 2025 the government added two more days off (16 and 17 July).

Other public holidays include 1 January, 8 March, 1 June (Children’s Day), 26 November (Republic Day) and 29 December (Independence Day). Winters can be harsh: in February 2024, almost all provinces faced a dzud (an extreme winter in which large numbers of livestock die), more than 80% of the country was covered in snow, and over 1.5 million animals had died. Allow extra time and flexibility for rural face-to-face fieldwork in winter.

Data protection

Personal data is governed by the Law on Personal Data Protection, adopted on 17 December 2021 and in force since 1 May 2022; it replaced the 1995 Law on Personal Secrets. The National Human Rights Commission monitors its application and handles complaints, and the government body in charge of digital development and communications sets security requirements for sensitive data. Consent must be given in writing, on paper or electronically, and must state the purpose, the controller’s contact details, the data collected, the processing period, any transfer and how to withdraw consent. Silence or no response does not count as consent.

Data collected for scientific or statistical purposes also needs consent unless another law provides otherwise, and must be de-identified unless the person gives written consent. Sensitive data (for example health, genetic, biometric data or ethnic origin) can only be processed in limited cases. Transfers of personal data abroad are prohibited unless a law or treaty allows them or the person consents. Ask your agency how consent is recorded, where data is stored and what anonymised data will be shared with you outside Mongolia.

Working with a local agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, provinces and settlement types, method, languages and deadline.
• Ask whether the agency follows the ICC/ESOMAR International Code and how interviews are checked, especially in remote areas.
• Ask how rural and herder households will be reached, how long travel will take and how seasons and holidays affect the schedule.
• Check that the questionnaire is in Cyrillic Mongolian, with a Kazakh version if the study covers Bayan-Ölgii.
• Check that written consent is collected as required by the Law on Personal Data Protection, and agree in writing what data you will receive and whether it may leave Mongolia.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 companies from this page.