Mongolians are increasingly abandoning the traditional nomadic way of life and moving into urban areas. From the historical predominance of nomadic and rural habitats, Mongolia is now overwhelmingly urban, with more than two thirds of its population living in cities and towns. Correspondingly, the area of land of cities, villages and other settlements, including lands under urban constructions and buildings, industrial and mining sites and urban common tenure land, has expanded from 523,600 ha in 1997 to 753,600 ha in 2016 (table 12.1).