It seems likely that the use of contraception will continue to grow in the future. Women in West region get married about a year later than women in other regions, and women with more than secondary education marry almost 2 years later than those with primary education or less. The duration of breastfeeding is unusually long by world standards. The median duration of postpartum amenorrhea is 8 months. This in turn helps to explain the relatively lengthy inter-birth intervals, with a median of 35 months, which are a reflection of the current low level of fertility.
Abortion also plays a role in depressing fertility.
Abortion is legal in Mongolia, although it is discouraged as a method of controlling fertility. It is estimated that currently one-sixth of pregnancies are aborted. These figures are substantially higher than registered deaths, and will be a topic for further investigation. There has been a notable decrease in mortality over time. Mortality is much higher in rural areas than in urban areas, and varies inversely with the mother's level of education.