Mongolia is a country of young people. 36% is aged seventeen years or younger. This new generation is experiencing life very differently to the authoritarian Mongolia their parents knew. With the transition into a market economy, opportunity for economic, social and cultural diversity has opened up, yet the insecurity of unemployment and social services poses a constant threat.
Urbanisation is another distinct trend of twentieth century Mongolia. Nearly one quarter of the population live in the capital city (Ulaanbaatar) alone, of which 500 000 are in the ever-sprawling ‘ger’ districts (urban slums).