The elegant and powerful words “Only when every brain works tirelessly will Mongolia develop” were repeatedly shouted by Prime Minister and Leader of the Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) L.Oyun-Erdene during the recent parliamentary election campaign. If these words were truly implemented in everyday life, they would indeed be true. However, the reality is that the country’s most brilliant minds are steadily “leaking” abroad. The flow of skilled and qualified professionals leaving the country has been steadily increasing since 2016, and Mongolia’s “Brain Drain Index” has had an average score of 4.2 over the past three years.
“Brain drain” refers to the phenomenon where highly educated citizens of working age leave their country to improve their quality of life, receive fair compensation for their work, and live in safer and healthier environments. In short, it measures the outflow of a country’s skilled human resources. The “Human Rights-Brain Drain” index is rated on a scale of one to 10, where a higher score indicates a greater loss of educated and skilled workers to other countries.
Mongolia’s average score on the Brain Drain Index from 2007 to 2023 has been 3.08, ranking 123rd out of 177 countries. Last year, the index stood at 3.9, which shows a slight decrease compared to previous years. However, this decline is largely attributed to the political shifts around the election, meaning the gains are not for the intellectual youth but rather for L.Oyun-Erdene’s government. In 2011, the index reached its lowest point, scoring 1.9, while in 2022, it peaked at 4.3, which can clearly be seen on the Global Economy website.
Wages, living conditions, and limited opportunities are drivers of emigration
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 220,000 Mongolian citizens are currently living, studying, and working abroad. In 2023, the National Statistics Office conducted a survey of more than 1,900 citizens aged 18 to 51 residing in 15 foreign countries. The findings revealed that young people between the ages of 18 to 23 are primarily abroad for education, while those between 30 to 50 are working in foreign countries. Furthermore, over 70 percent of the respondents hold bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees.
One of the most concerning conclusions from this survey is that the majority of these highly educated and skilled individuals, eight out of 10, expressed no intention of returning to Mongolia. Researchers analyzing big data on this issue have pinpointed the root causes of the mass emigration of Mongolia’s brightest and most active youth, who are losing hope of a better life in their homeland. Factors like the severe air pollution, traffic congestion, and the lack of a safe, healthy, and peaceful living environment in Ulaanbaatar City, as well as the inability of children to receive quality, equitable education, are among the key reasons driving emigration.
Moreover, the lack of high-paying jobs that properly value intellectual abilities and the growing corruption, bribery, bureaucratic red tape, and unfair practices across all levels of government, along with extravagant government spending, inflation, and the reckless behavior of politicians, have become unbearable for young people. The increasing opacity of information and the growth of the Bureaucracy Indicators in a democratic society are also contributing factors. Young people are increasingly leaving, realizing that their limited youth will not last long enough for change to come. They see no point in waiting for improvement.
Mongolia’s decreasing score on the Happiness Index, which measures factors like GDP per capita, social support, access to healthy living, freedom to make life choices, and levels of corruption, is also related to these issues. This declining index reflects the worsening living conditions and the increasing outflow of skilled, educated individuals. In other words, a complex mix of macro and micro factors influences the rising trend of emigration.
As the former Prime Minister, R.Amarjargal noted in his blog, “Developing and poor countries lose their skilled workforce to developed nations, which lure them with better wages and living conditions. This phenomenon is known as ‘Brain Drain’. As a result, impoverished countries remain stuck in poverty.”
Stopping ‘Brain Drain’ requires youth-oriented policies
The outflow of one skilled individual abroad has significant consequences for the societal, economic, and labor market productivity of a country. This is why nations pay constant attention to reducing or at least stabilizing their “Brain Drain Index” through targeted policies. Since the introduction of the “Brain Drain Index” in 2007, Australia has consistently ranked in the top three and, in 2024, led with a score of 0.30. The Ministry responsible for oversight of youth affairs in Australia has implemented national strategies, investing considerable resources to support and develop the country's youth, which forms the backbone of its demographic structure.
Similarly, China, with a score of 4.9 in 2017, managed to reduce its index sharply to 3.2 over seven years. Japan, which was at 3.5 at the time, successfully lowered its index to 2.4 by 2014, achieving a one-point decrease. South Korea, which was at a similar score of 3.9 as Mongolia, reduced its index to 3.1, while Russia’s index, which decreased from 4.0 to 3.4 between 2017 and 2022, has now increased to 3.8 due to the repercussions of war.
The Mongolian government’s program for 2020 to 2024 states that it will create favorable conditions for Mongolian citizens living and working abroad to return home and contribute to the country’s economic and social development. However, in reality, no significant changes have been made. Researchers at the “Brain Drain to Brain Gain” discussion held at the National University of Mongolia in 2024 warned that unless fundamental social and economic issues are comprehensively addressed, the “Brain Drain” index will continue to rise, and the possibility of reversing the brain drain—achieving a “Brain Gain”—will diminish.
In reality, the government’s lack of long-term vision has led to the abandonment of youth-focused policies, national programs, institutional activities, and even the necessary budget for these initiatives. According to a labor market study conducted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection in 2024, the demand for 83,700 workers in the domestic labor market is expected to arise this year, which exceeds the average demand of the past decade. This highlights the need for early planning and strategies to address this demand, reminding policymakers of the urgency of the situation.
‘Brain Drain to Brain Gain’ program becomes forgotten dream
For over 30 years, since Mongolia’s transition to a market economy, countless scientists, researchers, and students have left the country in search of academic advancement and professional opportunities abroad. This outflow of intellectual capital has now reached a point where it is crucial to find ways to attract these talented individuals back. Mongolia faces a growing demand for specialized professionals such as engineers for aircraft operations, mine maintenance specialists, biotechnologists, laboratory physicians, medical equipment engineers, software engineers, and leather processing technologists—professions that require advanced degrees and specialized skills.
In recognition of this pressing need, the Mongolian government, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, had set forth an ambitious plan to implement a national program aimed at reversing the brain drain and fostering the return of these highly educated individuals to contribute to the nation’s economic and social development. This initiative, which gained momentum a year ago during the election season, was envisioned as a comprehensive strategy to revitalize Mongolia’s intellectual capital. The plan included the creation of a unified information database and a virtual platform where Mongolian professionals abroad could connect, share their knowledge, and collaborate on joint projects. It also sought to foster the introduction of advanced technologies from abroad and to facilitate the reverse flow of top-tier expertise back into the country.
Moreover, the program aimed to bridge the gap between Mongolian expatriates and local employers. It was designed to provide detailed information about job opportunities in Mongolia, including available positions in national companies, digital employment options, and competitive salaries, creating an ecosystem for collaboration between the diaspora and domestic industries. These initiatives were intended to not only tap into the vast intellectual resources abroad but also to encourage the return of critical skills and technologies that would drive national progress.
However, despite the promising vision behind the “Brain Drain to Brain Gain” program, the continuity of this initiative was abruptly halted with the change in leadership. The newly appointed ministers and officials failed to carry the program forward, allowing it to languish and ultimately fade into obscurity. What was once a hopeful and strategic effort to reverse the outflow of intellectual capital became little more than an unrealized dream.
This situation is a clear reflection of a deeper issue within Mongolia’s governance, where critical programs aimed at national advancement can be left unfulfilled due to lack of sustained leadership and vision. As the Prime Minister has often highlighted, the driving force behind a country’s growth and prosperity lies in the intellectual strength of its people, especially its youth. Yet, despite these words, the reality is that the “Brain Drain to Brain Gain” initiative, which had the potential to invigorate Mongolia’s economy and foster a brighter future for its citizens, has not been translated into action.
The need to make this vision a reality is more urgent than ever. It is time to refocus on developing and implementing policies that will not only stop the flow of intellectual capital but also harness the full potential of Mongolia's brightest minds to build a prosperous future for the nation. The brain drain is not a phenomenon that can be ignored—it must be actively addressed if Mongolia hopes to thrive in the modern global economy.
By D.CHANTSALMAA
