Click, Vote, Spend: Mongolia Tries Democracy by Budget

Mongolian is letting citizens weigh in on its national budget for the first time. Whether their input shapes spending priorities or gets buried in bureaucracy remains to be seen.

Mongolia’s government is inviting citizens to comment on the initial draft of its 2026 state budget. Prime Minister Gombojavyn Zandanshatar has framed this as a bold step toward transparency and accountability. It is also a political gamble.

As of August 5, 2025, over 100,000 citizens submitted feedback on Mongolia’s draft 2026 budget—an unprecedented show of digital participation.

This is not Zandanshatar’s first attempt to widen public input. As Parliament Speaker, he launched the “D-Parliament” and “D-Petition” platforms, which gave Mongolians a chance to shape the legislative agenda directly. 

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