Poll: Amidst Persistent Economic Woes, Mongolians Want Political Change

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia—A poll of residents of Mongolia released today by the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research reveals that Mongolians want a generational change in political leadership. The poll, conducted prior to the June 26 presidential election and the July 7 runoff, also indicates continuing concerns over the current state of the economy and the country’s trajectory.

“This survey shows that Mongolians are dissatisfied on a number of fronts and want a change in politics-as-usual,” said IRI Regional Director for Asia, Derek Luyten. “Following the recent elections, it is crucial that the new president and the parliament demonstrate that they are willing to work together to address these concerns with meaningful actions.”

Seventy-two percent of respondents believe that “it is time for Mongolia to transition to a younger generation of political leaders,” (46 percent “strongly agree,” 26 percent “somewhat agree”), while a combined 75 percent feel that politicians do not listen to the needs and ideas of young people (34 percent “strongly agree,” 41 percent “somewhat agree”).

The poll also suggests that the parliament elected in June 2016 has not lived up to expectations: the number who say they would vote the same way today dropped by 22 points from August 2016. Voters expressed frustration with the parliament’s performance on issues including improving the economy (38 percent ranked it as “very bad,” 38 percent as “somewhat bad”); fighting corruption (39 percent “very bad,” 36 percent as “somewhat bad”); reducing poverty (44 percent “very bad,” 38 percent “somewhat bad”); and addressing unemployment (33 percent “very bad,” 45 percent “somewhat bad”).

Dissatisfaction with the government’s performance may be related to the desire of many respondents for a politically-balanced government. Fifty percent prefer “a balanced government, where the president and the majority of parliamentarians are from different political parties” over “an efficient government, where the president and majority of parliamentarians are from the same political party.”

Click here to read the poll in Mongolian. 

Methodology

This survey was conducted on behalf of the Center for Insights in Survey Research by the Social Policy Development Research Institute (SPDRI) under the supervision of Chariot LLC between April 24 and May 4. Data was collected through in-person, in-home interviews in both urban and rural locations. The sample consisted of 3,000 respondents (response rate: 96.7 percent) aged 18 and older, and was representative of voting-age adults nationally. The margin of error does not exceed plus or minus 1.8 percent at the mid-range with a confidence level of 95 percent. Figures in charts and tables may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.