Spatial Distribution of Land Ownership in Mongolia: An Empirical Study Based on the 2025 National Land Registry Unified Report

Abstract

This study aims to assess spatial disparities and inequality in land ownership in Mongolia using quantitative and spatial analysis methods based on the 2025 National Land Registry Unified Report. Although the privatization of land since the enactment of the law in 2003 has been a crucial part of the market transition, analyses of regional-level distribution and inequality remain scarce. We measured differences at the provincial and capital city levels using a descriptive-comparative approach, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) spatial mapping, the Gini coefficient, and the Lorenz curve. The results indicate that by the end of 2025, 738,135 citizens, or 20.8% of the national population, had acquired land ownership; however, spatial and structural disparities are stark. Land ownership coverage accounts for 11.3% of the population in Khuvsgul province, whereas it reaches 92.4% in Tuv province. The inter-provincial land ownership Gini coefficient is 0.49, indicating a moderate level of spatial inequality, which is further corroborated by the Lorenz curve analysis showing that the bottom 45.5% of units hold only 18.3% of owned land. Furthermore, enterprises hold 57.6% of the total land, indicating a high concentration in the land-use structure. Therefore, policy reforms are required to introduce market-based mechanisms tailored to the specific dynamics of urban and rural land supply and demand.