The annual nationwide livestock census has started in Mongolia. This not only records the number of animals, but also conducts a detailed study of the herder families across the country.

This time last year, there were 66.5 million animals, representing an increase of 241.2 thousand heads compared to 2017.

In 1970s, there were around 13.3 million sheep and 4.2 million goats. The number of goats in Mongolia has shot up grew from 19.8 percent of total livestock in 1990 to 40.8 percent today – this is due to growing global cashmere demands.