View Intelligence Dossier Back to 2019 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions [time series]

total: 17,131,820 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2017 est.)

Broadcast media [time series]

telecom reform in 2013 enabled the creation of new broadcast television channels after decades of a quasi-monopoly; Mexico has 821 TV stations and 1,745 radio stations and most are privately owned; the Televisa group once had a virtual monopoly in TV broadcasting, but new broadcasting groups and foreign satellite and cable operators are now available; in 2016, Mexico became the first country in Latin America to complete the transition from analog to digital transmissions, allowing for better image and audio quality and a wider selection of programming from networks

Internet country code [time series]

.mx

Internet users [time series]

total: 73,334,032 | percent of population: 59.5% (July 2016 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: adequate telephone service for business and government; improving quality and increasing mobile cellular availability, with mobile subscribers far outnumbering fixed-line subscribers; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network; considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable; two main MNOs despite efforts for competition; preparation for 5G and LTE-M services; Mexico’s first local Internet Exchange Point opens in Mexico City (2018) | domestic: competition has spurred the mobile-cellular market; fixed-line teledensity exceeds 17 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is about 92 per 100 persons (2018) | international: country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain, and Italy; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 submarine cable system together provide access to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 120 (32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), 1 Panamsat, numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk connections (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 20,602,668 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total subscriptions: 114,326,842 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 92 (2017 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products

Budget [time series]

revenues: 261.4 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 273.8 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

-1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate [time series]

7.25% (31 December 2017) | 5.75% (31 December 2016)

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

7.34% (31 December 2017 est.) | 4.72% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance [time series]

-$19.35 billion (2017 est.) | -$23.32 billion (2016 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$445.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $450.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

48.2 (2014) | 48.3 (2008)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Mexico's $2.4 trillion economy – 11th largest in the world - has become increasingly oriented toward manufacturing since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into force in 1994. Per capita income is roughly one-third that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Mexico has become the US' second-largest export market and third-largest source of imports. In 2017, two-way trade in goods and services exceeded $623 billion. Mexico has free trade agreements with 46 countries, putting more than 90% of its trade under free trade agreements. In 2012, Mexico formed the Pacific Alliance with Peru, Colombia, and Chile. Mexico's current government, led by President Enrique PENA NIETO, has emphasized economic reforms, passing and implementing sweeping energy, financial, fiscal, and telecommunications reform legislation, among others, with the long-term aim to improve competitiveness and economic growth across the Mexican economy. Since 2015, Mexico has held public auctions of oil and gas exploration and development rights and for long-term electric power generation contracts. Mexico has also issued permits for private sector import, distribution, and retail sales of refined petroleum products in an effort to attract private investment into the energy sector and boost production. Since 2013, Mexico’s economic growth has averaged 2% annually, falling short of private-sector expectations that President PENA NIETO’s sweeping reforms would bolster economic prospects. Growth is predicted to remain below potential given falling oil production, weak oil prices, structural issues such as low productivity, high inequality, a large informal sector employing over half of the workforce, weak rule of law, and corruption. Mexico’s economy remains vulnerable to uncertainty surrounding the future of NAFTA — because the United States is its top trading partner and the two countries share integrated supply chains — and to potential shifts in domestic policies following the inauguration of a new a president in December 2018.

Exchange rates [time series]

Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar - | 18.26 (2017 est.) | 18.664 (2016 est.) | 18.664 (2015 est.) | 15.848 (2014 est.) | 13.292 (2013 est.)

Exports [time series]

$409.8 billion (2017 est.) | $374.3 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

manufactured goods, electronics, vehicles and auto parts, oil and oil products, silver, plastics, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton; Mexico is the world's leading producer of silver

Exports - partners [time series]

US 79.9% (2017)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$1.151 trillion (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$2.463 trillion (2017 est.) | $2.413 trillion (2016 est.) | $2.346 trillion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

household consumption: 67% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 11.8% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 22.3% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 0.8% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 37.8% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -39.7% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]

agriculture: 3.6% (2017 est.) | industry: 31.9% (2017 est.) | services: 64.5% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$19,900 (2017 est.) | $19,700 (2016 est.) | $19,400 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

2% (2017 est.) | 2.9% (2016 est.) | 3.3% (2015 est.)

Gross national saving [time series]

21.4% of GDP (2017 est.) | 21.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | 20.7% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 2% | highest 10%: 40% (2014)

Imports [time series]

$420.8 billion (2017 est.) | $387.4 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, automobile parts for assembly and repair, aircraft, aircraft parts, plastics, natural gas and oil products

Imports - partners [time series]

US 46.4%, China 17.7%, Japan 4.3% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-0.6% (2017 est.)

Industries [time series]

food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

6% (2017 est.) | 2.8% (2016 est.)

Labor force [time series]

54.51 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 13.4% | industry: 24.1% | services: 61.9% (2011)

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$402.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $480.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $526 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

46.2% (2014 est.) | note: from a food-based definition of poverty; asset-based poverty amounted to more than 47%

Public debt [time series]

54.3% of GDP (2017 est.) | 56.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$175.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $178.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | note: Mexico also maintains access to an $88 million Flexible Credit Line with the IMF

Stock of broad money [time series]

$215.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $186.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]

$243.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $148.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]

$554.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $473.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$431.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $393.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$215.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $186.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

22.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

3.4% (2017 est.) | 3.9% (2016 est.) | note: underemployment may be as high as 25%

Energy

Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]

454.1 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports [time series]

1.214 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - imports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - production [time series]

1.852 million bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

6.63 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption [time series]

258.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports [time series]

7.308 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

71% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

17% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

3.532 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

72.56 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

302.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access [time series]

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

81.61 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

36.81 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

50.12 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

31.57 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

279.8 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

1.984 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

155,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

867,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

844,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 1,964,375 sq km | land: 1,943,945 sq km | water: 20,430 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly less than three times the size of Texas | Area comparison map: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × North America :: Mexico Print Image Description slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Climate [time series]

varies from tropical to desert

Coastline [time series]

9,330 km

Elevation [time series]

mean elevation: 1,111 m | lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m | highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,636 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban migration; natural freshwater resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion | note: the government considers the lack of clean water and deforestation national security issues

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

23 00 N, 102 00 W

Geography - note [time series]

note 1: strategic location on southern border of the US; Mexico is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire note 2: the "Three Sisters" companion plants - winter squash, maize (corn), and climbing beans - served as the main agricultural crops for various North American Indian groups; all three apparently originated in Mexico but then were widely disseminated through much of North America; vanilla, the world's most popular aroma and flavor spice, also emanates from Mexico note 3: the Sac Actun cave system at 348 km (216 mi) is the longest underwater cave in the world and the second longest cave worldwide, after Mammoth Cave in the United States (see "Geography - note" under United States) note 4: the prominent Yucatan Peninsula that divides the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea is shared by Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize; just on the northern coast of Yucatan, near the town of Chicxulub (pronounce cheek-sha-loob), lie the remnants of a massive crater (some 150 km in diameter and extending well out into the Gulf of Mexico); formed by an asteroid or comet when it struck the earth 66 million years ago, the impact is now widely accepted as initiating a worldwide climate disruption that caused a mass extinction of 75% of all the earth's plant and animal species - including the non-avian dinosaurs

Irrigated land [time series]

65,000 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 4,389 km | border countries (3): Belize 276 km, Guatemala 958 km, US 3155 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 54.9% (2011 est.) | arable land: 11.8% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 1.4% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 41.7% (2011 est.) | forest: 33.3% (2011 est.) | other: 11.8% (2011 est.)

Location [time series]

North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States

Map references [time series]

North America

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards [time series]

tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts volcanism: volcanic activity in the central-southern part of the country; the volcanoes in Baja California are mostly dormant; Colima (3,850 m), which erupted in 2010, is Mexico's most active volcano and is responsible for causing periodic evacuations of nearby villagers; it has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Popocatepetl (5,426 m) poses a threat to Mexico City; other historically active volcanoes include Barcena, Ceboruco, El Chichon, Michoacan-Guanajuato, Pico de Orizaba, San Martin, Socorro, and Tacana; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, silver, antimony, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

Population distribution [time series]

most of the population is found in the middle of the country between the states of Jalisco and Veracruz; approximately a quarter of the population lives in and around Mexico City

Terrain [time series]

high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

32 states (estados, singular - estado); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Cuidad de Mexico, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan, Zacatecas

Capital [time series]

name: Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico) | geographic coordinates: 19 26 N, 99 08 W | time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October | note: Mexico has four time zones etymology: named after the Mexica, the largest and most powerful branch of the Aztecs; the meaning of the name is uncertain

Citizenship [time series]

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent only: yes | dual citizenship recognized: not specified | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution [time series]

history: several previous; latest approved 5 February 1917 | amendments: proposed by the Congress of the Union; passage requires approval by at least two thirds of the members present and approval by a majority of the state legislatures; amended many times, last in 2019 (2019)

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: United Mexican States | conventional short form: Mexico | local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos | local short form: Mexico | etymology: named after the capital city, whose name stems from the Mexica, the largest and most powerful branch of the Aztecs; the meaning of the name is uncertain

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher LANDAU (since 26 August 2019) | telephone: (011) 52-55-5080-2000 | embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal | mailing address: P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX 78520-9000 | FAX: (011) 52-55-5080-2005 | consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

Ambassador Martha BARCENA Coqui (since 11 January 2019); note - Ambassador BARCENA Coqui is Mexico'a first-ever female ambassador to the US | chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006 | telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600 | FAX: [1] (202) 728-1698 | consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso (TX), Houston, Laredo (TX), Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Nogales (AZ), Phoenix, Sacramento (CA), San Antonio (TX), San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Saint Paul (MN) | consulate(s): Albuquerque (NM), Anchorage (AK), Boise (ID), Brownsville (TX), Calexico (CA), Del Rio (TX), Detroit, Douglas (AZ), Eagle Pass (TX), Fresno (CA), Indianapolis (IN), Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas, Little Rock (AR), McAllen (TX), Minneapolis (MN), New Orleans, Omaha (NE), Orlando (FL), Oxnard (CA), Philadelphia, Portland (OR), Presidio (TX), Raleigh (NC), Salt Lake City, San Bernardino (CA), Santa Ana (CA), Seattle, Tucson (AZ), Yuma (AZ); note - Washington DC Consular Section is located in a separate building from the Mexican Embassy and has jurisdiction over DC, parts of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR (since 1 December 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government | head of government: President Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR (since 1 December 2018) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; note - appointment of attorney general, the head of the Bank of Mexico, and senior treasury officials require consent of the Senate | elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 6-year term; election last held on 1 July 2018 (next to be held in July 2024) | election results: Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR elected president; percent of vote - Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR (MORENA) 53.2%, Ricardo ANAYA (PAN) 22.3%, Jose Antonio MEADE Kuribrena (PRI) 16.4%, Jaime RODRIGUEZ Calderon 5.2% (independent), other 2.9%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; Mexico's coat of arms (an eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus) is centered in the white band; green signifies hope, joy, and love; white represents peace and honesty; red stands for hardiness, bravery, strength, and valor; the coat of arms is derived from a legend that the wandering Aztec people were to settle at a location where they would see an eagle on a cactus eating a snake; the city they founded, Tenochtitlan, is now Mexico City | note: similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter, uses lighter shades of green and red, and does not display anything in its white band

Government type [time series]

federal presidential republic

Independence [time series]

16 September 1810 (declared independence from Spain); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain)

International law organization participation [time series]

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation [time series]

APEC, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CE (observer), CELAC, CSN (observer), EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-3, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAFTA, NAM (observer), NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch [time series]

highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nacion (consists of the chief justice and 11 justices and organized into civil, criminal, administrative, and labor panels) and the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (organized into the superior court, with 7 judges including the court president, and 5 regional courts, each with 3 judges) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court justices nominated by the president of the republic and approved by two-thirds vote of the members present in the Senate; justices serve 15-year terms; Electoral Tribunal superior and regional court judges nominated by the Supreme Court and elected by two-thirds vote of members present in the Senate; superior court president elected from among its members to hold office for a 4-year term; other judges of the superior and regional courts serve staggered, 9-year terms | subordinate courts: federal level includes circuit, collegiate, and unitary courts; state and district level courts

Legal system [time series]

civil law system with US constitutional law influence; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch [time series]

description: bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of: Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 32 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms) Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 200 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms) | elections: Senate - last held on 1 July 2018 (next to be held on 1 July 2024) Chamber of Deputies - last held on 1 July 2018 (next to be held on 1 July 2021) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MORENA 58, PAN 22, PRI 14, PRD 9, MC 7, PT 7, PES 5, PVEM 5, PNA/PANAL 1; composition - men 65, women 63, percent of women 49.3% Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MORENA 193, PAN 79, PT 61, PES 58, PRI 42, MC 26, PRD 23, PVEM 17, PNA/PANAL 1; composition - men 259, women 241, percent of women 48.2%; note - total National Congress percent of women 48.4% | note: for the 2018 election, senators will be eligible for a second term and deputies up to 4 consecutive terms

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

name: "Himno Nacional Mexicano" (National Anthem of Mexico) | lyrics/music: Francisco Gonzalez BOCANEGRA/Jaime Nuno ROCA | note: adopted 1943, in use since 1854; also known as "Mexicanos, al grito de Guerra" (Mexicans, to the War Cry); according to tradition, Francisco Gonzalez BOCANEGRA, an accomplished poet, was uninterested in submitting lyrics to a national anthem contest; his fiancee locked him in a room and refused to release him until the lyrics were completed

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

National symbol(s) [time series]

golden eagle; national colors: green, white, red

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Citizen's Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano) or MC [Clemente CASTANEDA] Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) or PRI [Claudia RUIZ Massieu] Labor Party (Partido del Trabajo) or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez] Mexican Green Ecological Party (Partido Verde Ecologista de Mexico) or PVEM [Carlos Alberto PUENTE Salas] Movement for National Regeneration (Movimiento Regeneracion Nacional) or MORENA [Andres Manuel LOPEZ Obrador] National Action Party (Partido Accion Nacional) or PAN [Damian ZEPEDA Vidales] Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) or PRD [Manuel GRANADOS]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Introduction

Background [time series]

The site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations - including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec - Mexico was conquered and colonized by Spain in the early 16th century. Administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain for three centuries, it achieved independence early in the 19th century. Elections held in 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that an opposition candidate - Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe CALDERON, but Enrique PENA NIETO regained the presidency for the PRI in 2012. Left-leaning antiestablishment politician and former mayor of Mexico City (2000-05) Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR, from the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), became president in December 2018. The global financial crisis in late 2008 caused a massive economic downturn in Mexico the following year, although growth returned quickly in 2010. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, high underemployment, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely indigenous population in the impoverished southern states. Since 2007, Mexico's powerful drug-trafficking organizations have engaged in bloody feuding, resulting in tens of thousands of drug-related homicides.

Military and Security

Military and security forces [time series]

Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional, Sedena): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Mexicana, FAM); Secretariat of the Navy (Secretaria de Marina, Semar): Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico (ARM), includes Naval Air Force (FAN), Mexican Naval Infantry Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina, Mexmar or CIM)); Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection: Federal Police, National Guard (2019) | Note: the National Guard was formed in 2019 and consists of personnel from the Federal Police and military police units of the Army and Navy

Military expenditures [time series]

0.54% of GDP (2018) | 0.47% of GDP (2017) | 0.56% of GDP (2016) | 0.66% of GDP (2015) | 0.66% of GDP (2014)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18 years of age for compulsory military service (selection for service determined by lottery), conscript service obligation is 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment; cadets enrolled in military schools from the age of 15 are considered members of the armed forces; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2012)

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 26.61% (male 17,143,124 /female 16,378,309) | 15-24 years: 17.35% (male 11,072,817 /female 10,779,029) | 25-54 years: 40.91% (male 24,916,204 /female 26,612,272) | 55-64 years: 7.87% (male 4,538,167 /female 5,375,867) | 65 years and over: 7.26% (male 4,079,513 /female 5,063,903) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × North America :: Mexico Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Mexico. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate [time series]

18.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]

4.2% (2016)

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

66.9% (2015)

Current health expenditure (Current Health Expenditure) [time series]

5.5% (2016)

Death rate [time series]

5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 51.4 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 41.6 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 9.8 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 10.2 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

4.9% of GDP (2016)

Ethnic groups [time series]

mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 62%, predominantly Amerindian 21%, Amerindian 7%, other 10% (mostly European) (2012 est.) | note: Mexico does not collect census data on ethnicity

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

0.2% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

4,000 (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

230,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital bed density [time series]

1.5 beds/1,000 population (2015)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 12.6 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages [time series]

Spanish only 92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified 0.8% (2005) | note: indigenous languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 76.3 years (2018 est.) | male: 73.5 years | female: 79.2 years

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 94.9% | male: 95.8% | female: 94% (2016)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

degree of risk: intermediate (2016) | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A (2016) | vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2016) | note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Major urban areas - population [time series]

21.672 million MEXICO CITY (capital), 5.101 million Guadalajara, 4.793 million Monterrey, 3.145 million Puebla, 2.411 million Toluca de Lerdo, 2.099 million Tijuana (2019)

Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]

33 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 28.6 years (2018 est.) | male: 27.5 years | female: 29.7 years

Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]

21.3 years (2008 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Mexican(s) | adjective: Mexican

Net migration rate [time series]

-1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

28.9% (2016)

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

2.25 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population [time series]

125,959,205 (July 2018 est.)

Population distribution [time series]

most of the population is found in the middle of the country between the states of Jalisco and Veracruz; approximately a quarter of the population lives in and around Mexico City

Population growth rate [time series]

1.09% (2018 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 82.7%, Pentecostal 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, other Evangelical Churches 5%, other 1.9%, none 4.7%, unspecified 2.7% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

improved: urban: 88% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 74.5% of population (2015 est.) | total: 85.2% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 12% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 25.5% of population (2015 est.) | total: 14.8% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 14 years | male: 14 years | female: 14 years (2016)

Sex ratio [time series]

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.22 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]

total: 6.9% | male: 6.5% | female: 7.6% (2018 est.)

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 80.4% of total population (2019) | rate of urbanization: 1.59% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

abundant rainfall in recent years along much of the Mexico-US border region has ameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangements; the US has intensified security measures to monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and commodities across its border with Mexico; Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the US; Belize and Mexico are working to solve minor border demarcation discrepancies arising from inaccuracies in the 1898 border treaty

Illicit drugs [time series]

major drug-producing and transit nation; Mexico is estimated to be the world's third largest producer of opium with poppy cultivation in 2015 estimated to be 28,000 hectares yielding a potential production of 475 metric tons of raw opium; government conducts the largest independent illicit-crop eradication program in the world; continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America, with an estimated 95% of annual cocaine movements toward the US stopping in Mexico; major drug syndicates control the majority of drug trafficking throughout the country; producer and distributor of ecstasy; significant money-laundering center; major supplier of heroin and largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US market

Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]

refugees (country of origin): 5,155 (El Salvador) (2018); 64,053 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2019) | IDPs: 338,000 (government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in 1994 in eastern Chiapas Region; drug cartel violence and government's military response since 2007; violence between and within indigenous groups) (2018) | stateless persons: 13 (2018)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

1,714 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 243 (2017) | over 3,047 m: 12 (2017) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 32 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 80 (2017) | 914 to 1,523 m: 86 (2017) | under 914 m: 33 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 1,471 (2013) | over 3,047 m: 1 (2013) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 42 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 281 (2013) | under 914 m: 1,146 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]

XA (2016)

Heliports [time series]

1 (2013)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 617 | by type: bulk carrier 6, general cargo 11, oil tanker 35, other 565 (2018)

National air transport system [time series]

number of registered air carriers: 21 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 357 (2015) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 45,560,063 (2015) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 713,985,467 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines [time series]

15,986 km natural gas (2019), 10,365 km oil (2017), 8,946 km refined products (2016)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

major seaport(s): Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Veracruz | oil terminal(s): Cayo Arcas terminal, Dos Bocas terminal | cruise port(s): Cancun, Cozumel, Ensenada | container port(s) (TEUs): Manzanillo (2,830,370), Lazaro Cardenas (1,149,079) (2017) | LNG terminal(s) (import): Altamira, Ensenada

Railways [time series]

total: 20,825 km (2017) | standard gauge: 20,825 km 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified) (2017)

Roadways [time series]

total: 398,148 km (2017) | paved: 174,911 km (includes 10,362 km of expressways) (2017) | unpaved: 223,237 km (2017)

Waterways [time series]

2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals mostly connected with ports on the country's east coast) (2012)