In 2024, Mongolia reports 18,113 deaths, revealing significant trends in the country’s health landscape. Let’s dive into the numbers and uncover what they tell us about the nation’s ongoing health challenges and demographic shifts.

♀️♂️ Mortality Breakdown 

Out of the 18,113 deaths, 11,497 or 63.5% are men, and 6,616, or 36.5% are women. This stark difference shows that men face nearly double the mortality rate compared to women. This gender gap in mortality remains consistent, driven by factors such as lifestyle, health issues, and accidents. Men’s higher mortality rate is a persistent challenge that requires targeted healthcare interventions and lifestyle changes.

🐦‍⬛ Leading Causes of Death

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death, accounting for 31.8% of all fatalities, or 5,746 deaths. Since 2000, these conditions have been the top cause of death in Mongolia, consistently representing around 30% of all mortality. Despite efforts to tackle heart disease, it continues to be a significant health burden.

Cancer follows closely, responsible for 21.2% of deaths, or 3,843 people in 2024. The rate of cancer-related deaths is rising, with its share of total deaths increasing from 22% to 26% over the past decade. In total, 4,755 people die from cancer each year, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies. Among the most common types of cancer are liver and stomach cancer, which are particularly prevalent in Mongolia.

• 👶 Child Mortality: Child mortality is another pressing issue. The death rate of children aged 0-4 surpasses that of adults under 49. In this age group, 500 boys die compared to 377 girls, revealing a concerning gender disparity in child mortality. This highlights a critical area for intervention, as the health system must focus on improving maternal and child healthcare services to reduce preventable deaths.

📉 Declining Birth Rate: An Emerging Trend

On the flip side, Mongolia records 57.8 thousand births in 2024, marking a 10.2% decrease from the previous year. This drop of 6.6 thousand births is significant, as it’s the first time in 17 years that the number of births falls below the 60 thousand threshold. The highest birth year remains 2014, with 82.8 thousand births. The declining birth rate signals potential challenges for the country’s future labor force and economic sustainability, prompting the need for policies to encourage higher birth rates and support families.

Final thoughts… Mongolia faces clear challenges in both mortality and birth rates. The high mortality rate among men and children, coupled with rising cancer and cardiovascular disease rates, highlights urgent need for more effective healthcare policies. Furthermore, the declining birth rate presents a potential demographic issue, which could impact the country’s future economic growth and social stability.