During the early years of Mongolia's market economy, migration from urban places to rural areas was dominant. However due to natural disasters occurring frequently in the previous five years, migration from rural areas to urban places has increased, especially migration of herders who lost animals in the disasters, which dramatically increased.
Along with natural disasters, factors including insufficient quality of education and health services, and lack of work positions in rural areas, led them to migrate. In the 2000 census, 491,806 people or 20.7 per cent of the total population were covered in migration. During the past five years, 65 per cent of migrants have settled in Ulaanbaatar. Migrants make up 14 per cent of Ulaanbaatar's population. Due to the centralisation of the population, 32.5 per cent of the total Mongolian population lives in the capital city.
In 2003, 40,000 people moved from the countryside to the capital city, while only 690 Ulaanbaatar residents moved away from city As Mongolian foreign relations and international cooperation have widened in recent years, Mongolians migrate abroad to study or work. The country, which only 16 years ago used to screen anyone who was travelling abroad, today has the most travelled people in the world - some 300,000 Mongolians or 12.5 percent of the total population travel abroad each year.
As for foreigners, in an average month, the Office of Naturalization and Immigration Services issues 2,000 visas to foreign citizens. The office also issues about 800 visa permissions, 500 new residency permits and 200 invitations in the same period. At present there are 2,258 immigrants, 912 permanent residents, 746 extended period residents and 82 non-Mongolian citizens in Mongolia.
