Mexico

Introduction

Background

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.

Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

23 00 N, 102 00 W

Map references

North America

Area

total: 1,964,375 sq km
land: 1,943,945 sq km
water: 20,430 sq km
country comparison to the world: 15

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries

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

Coastline

9,330 km

Maritime claims

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

Climate

varies from tropical to desert

Terrain

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

Elevation

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

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.)

Irrigated land

65,000 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

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

Natural hazards

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"

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

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

Geography - note

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

People and Society

Population

125,959,205 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11

Nationality

noun: Mexican(s)
adjective: Mexican

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

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

Religions

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.)

Age structure

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:

Dependency ratios

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.)

Median age

total: 28.6 years (2018 est.)
male: 27.5 years
female: 29.7 years
country comparison to the world: 135

Population growth rate

1.09% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101

Birth rate

18.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Death rate

5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180

Net migration rate

-1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158

Population distribution

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

Urbanization

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

Major urban areas - population

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)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.3 years (2008 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

33 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108

Infant mortality rate

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
country comparison to the world: 125

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.3 years (2018 est.)
male: 73.5 years
female: 79.2 years
country comparison to the world: 89

Total fertility rate

2.22 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94

Contraceptive prevalence rate

66.9% (2015)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 97.2% of population
rural: 92.1% of population
total: 96.1% of population
unimproved: urban: 2.8% of population
rural: 7.9% of population
total: 3.9% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

5.5% (2016)

Physicians density

2.25 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density

1.5 beds/1,000 population (2015)

Sanitation facility access

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.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

230,000 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,000 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32

Major infectious diseases

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

28.9% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 29

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.2% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 87

Education expenditures

4.9% of GDP (2016)
country comparison to the world: 66

Literacy

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

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

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 6.9%
male: 6.5%
female: 7.6% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157

Government

Country name

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

Government type

federal presidential republic

Capital

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

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

Constitution

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)

Legal system

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

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch

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%

Legislative branch

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

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

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]

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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
 

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Flag description

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

National symbol(s)

golden eagle; national colors: green, white, red

National anthem

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

Economy

Economy - overview

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.463 trillion (2017 est.)
$2.413 trillion (2016 est.)
$2.346 trillion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 11

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.151 trillion (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2% (2017 est.)
2.9% (2016 est.)
3.3% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$19,900 (2017 est.)
$19,700 (2016 est.)
$19,400 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 90

Gross national saving

21.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
21.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
20.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85

GDP - composition, by end use

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

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

Agriculture - products

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

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

-0.6% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174

Labor force

54.51 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12

Labor force - by occupation

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

Unemployment rate

3.4% (2017 est.)
3.9% (2016 est.)
note: underemployment may be as high as 25%
country comparison to the world: 42

Population below poverty line

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index

48.2 (2014)
48.3 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 24

Budget

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

Taxes and other revenues

22.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83

Public debt

54.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
56.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82

Fiscal year

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6% (2017 est.)
2.8% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186

Central bank discount rate

7.25% (31 December 2017)
5.75% (31 December 2016)
country comparison to the world: 44

Commercial bank prime lending rate

7.34% (31 December 2017 est.)
4.72% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113

Stock of narrow money

$215.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$186.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24

Stock of broad money

$215.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$186.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24

Stock of domestic credit

$431.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$393.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28

Market value of publicly traded shares

$402.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$480.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$526 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25

Current account balance

-$19.35 billion (2017 est.)
-$23.32 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198

Exports

$409.8 billion (2017 est.)
$374.3 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12

Exports - partners

US 79.9% (2017)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$420.8 billion (2017 est.)
$387.4 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14

Imports - commodities

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

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$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
country comparison to the world: 14

Debt - external

$445.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$450.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$554.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$473.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$243.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$148.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25

Exchange rates

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.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Electricity - production

302.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13

Electricity - consumption

258.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14

Electricity - exports

7.308 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

Electricity - imports

3.532 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47

Electricity - installed generating capacity

72.56 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17

Electricity - from fossil fuels

71% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

17% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96

Electricity - from other renewable sources

9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82

Crude oil - production

1.852 million bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13

Crude oil - exports

1.214 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166

Crude oil - proved reserves

6.63 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19

Refined petroleum products - production

844,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1.984 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11

Refined petroleum products - exports

155,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35

Refined petroleum products - imports

867,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10

Natural gas - production

31.57 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24

Natural gas - consumption

81.61 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9

Natural gas - exports

36.81 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51

Natural gas - imports

50.12 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8

Natural gas - proved reserves

279.8 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

454.1 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 20,602,668
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 114,326,842
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 92 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15

Telephone system

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)

Broadcast media

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

.mx

Internet users

total: 73,334,032
percent of population: 59.5% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 17,131,820
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11

Military and Security

Military expenditures

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)
country comparison to the world: 146

Military and security forces

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 service age and obligation

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)

Transportation

National air transport system

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: 713,985,467mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

XA (2016)

Airports

1,714 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 3

Airports - with paved runways

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

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)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Pipelines

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

Railways

total: 20,825 km (2017)
standard gauge: 20,825 km1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified) (2017)
country comparison to the world: 14

Roadways

total: 398,148 km (2017)
paved: 174,911 km(includes 10,362 km of expressways) (2017)
unpaved: 223,237 km (2017)
country comparison to the world: 18

Waterways

2,900 km(navigable rivers and coastal canals mostly connected with ports on the country's east coast) (2012)
country comparison to the world: 33

Merchant marine

total: 617
by type: bulk carrier 6, general cargo 11, oil tanker 35, other 565 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 34

Ports and terminals

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

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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)

Illicit drugs

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

Flag of Mexico