Defining the Social Issues and Well-Being of Mongolian Herders

Mongolia has a millennia-old tradition of nomadic pastoralism and nomadic culture. According to the 2020 census, 36.2% of Mongolia’s population lives in rural areas, of which 8.9% are herders. As a social group, Mongolian nomads include 298,789 herders from 181,050 households.

This article aims to conduct a systematic review of the social issues faced by herders from a sociological perspective, focusing on areas such as income and livelihood, family, gender, education, health, social protection, and child protection. These issues arise from the unique characteristics of nomadism and nomadic pastoralism, with the dispersed living conditions across vast territories and the mobility of herders contributing to common difficulties in their lives. Although poverty rates among herders have decreased over the last decade, their livelihoods remain highly vulnerable due to Mongolia’s extreme and unpredictable climate, harsh winters, and natural disasters like “dzud” (severe winter weather) and drought. In 2010, over 50% of herders lived below the poverty line, compared to 30.5% in 2020, while the national average was 26.5%.

Around 30% of young and middle-aged herder couples live separately to ensure their children can attend school, and the number of such families has increased by 40% over the last decade. Child neglect remains a concern among herder families, with children who live in dormitories, with relatives, or independently for education often facing neglect. Among young herders, 56% are covered by health insurance, but only about 20% participate in social insurance.

Conducting a systematic review of the social issues of herders allows for a comprehensive examination rather than viewing these issues in isolation. This approach can lead to the proposal of cross-sectoral social policy strategies to address these challenges.