What language is spoken in Mongolia?

The official language: Khalkha Mongolian

Khalkha Mongolian is the official language of Mongolia and constitutes the main language of the country. It belongs to the group of Mongolian languages, which is part of the Altaic language family. This language is spoken by 95% of the Mongolian population.

Secondary languages

• Russian: the second most spoken language, a legacy of the Soviet era
• Chinese: due to geographical proximity to China
• English: increasingly present, particularly in Ulan Bator
• Kazakh: spoken by the Kazakh ethnic group in the western part of the country

Key points for your trip

In the tourist areas of Ulan Bator and ger camps, some guides speak English or Russian. In rural areas, communication is mainly in Khalkha Mongolian, but gestures and smiles remain universal for exchanging with nomads.