Mexico Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico)

Population

130,739,927 (2024 est.)

Area

1,964,375 sq km

Location

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

🧭 Background

Mexico was the site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations -- including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec -- until Spain conquered and colonized the area 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 Mexican Revolution in 1910 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 PEÑA NIETO regained the presidency for the PRI in 2012. Left-leaning anti-establishment politician and former mayor of Mexico City (2000-05) Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR, from the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), became president in 2018. The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, or T-MEC by its Spanish acronym) entered into force in 2020 and replaced its predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Mexico amended its constitution in 2019 to facilitate the implementation of the labor components of USMCA. Mexico is currently the US's second-largest goods trading partner, after Canada. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, high underemployment, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities, particularly for the largely indigenous population in the impoverished southern states. Since 2007, Mexico's powerful transnational criminal organizations have engaged in a struggle to control criminal markets, resulting in tens of thousands of drug-related homicides and forced disappearances.

🗺️ Geography

Location

North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of America, 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

Area — land

1,943,945 sq km

Area — water

20,430 sq km

Area - comparative

Slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries — total

4,389 km

Land boundaries — border countries

Belize 276 km; Guatemala 958 km; US 3,155 km

Coastline

9,330 km

Maritime claims — territorial sea

12 nm

Maritime claims — contiguous zone

24 nm

Maritime claims — exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Maritime claims — continental shelf

200 nm 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 — highest point

Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,636 m

Elevation — lowest point

Laguna Salada -10 m

Elevation — mean elevation

1,111 m

Natural resources

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

Land use — agricultural land

50.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 10.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 2.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 38.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

34.2% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

15.1% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

59,910 sq km (2022)

Major lakes (area sq km) — fresh water lake(s)

Laguna de Chapala - 1,140 sq km

Major lakes (area sq km) — salt water lake(s)

Laguna de Terminos - 1,550 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rio Grande river mouth (shared with US [s]) - 3,057 km; Colorado river mouth (shared with US [s]) - 2,333 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km) — Atlantic Ocean drainage

(Gulf of America) Rio Grande/Bravo (607,965 sq km)

Major watersheds (area sq km) — Pacific Ocean drainage

(Gulf of California) Colorado (703,148 sq km)

Major aquifers

Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Aquifer

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; hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of America, 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) is Mexico's most active volcano and is responsible for 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"

Geography - note

Note 1: strategic location on southern border of the US; Mexico is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes note 2: 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 3: the prominent Yucatán Peninsula that divides the Gulf of America from the Caribbean Sea is shared by Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize; on the northern coast of Yucatan near the town of Chicxulub lie the remnants of a massive asteroid or comet crater about 150 km (93 mi) in diameter and extending into the Gulf of America; the impact is believed to have initiated a worldwide climate disruption that caused a mass extinction of 75% of the earth's plant and animal species, including the non-avian dinosaurs

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

130,739,927 (2024 est.)

Population — male

63,899,138

Population — female

66,840,789

Nationality — noun

Mexican(s)

Nationality — adjective

Mexican

Ethnic groups

Mestizo (Indigenous-Spanish) 62%, predominantly Indigenous 21%, Indigenous 7%, other 10% (mostly European) (2012 est.)

Languages — Languages

Spanish only 93.8%, Spanish and indigenous languages (including Mayan, Nahuatl, and others) 5.4%, indigenous only 0.6%, unspecified 0.2% (2020 est.)

Languages — major-language sample(s)

La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Catholic 77.7%, no religion 10.6%, other Evangelical Churches 7.5%, Jehovah Witness 1.2%; less than 1 percent: Pentecostal, Seventh Day Adventist, Historics, not specified, Latter Day Saints, other religions (2020 est.)

Age structure — 0-14 years

23.3% (male 15,647,805/female 14,754,004)

Age structure — 15-64 years

68.6% (male 43,651,105/female 45,983,174)

Age structure — 65 years and over

8.2% (2024 est.) (male 4,600,228/female 6,103,611)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

45.9 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

33.9 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

11.9 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

8.4 (2024 est.)

Median age — total

31 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

28.8 years

Median age — female

32.7 years

Population growth rate

0.81% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

14.73 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

6.04 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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

81.6% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

1.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

22.281 million MEXICO CITY (capital), 5.420 million Guadalajara, 5.117 million Monterrey, 3.345 million Puebla, 2.626 million Toluca de Lerdo, 2.260 million Tijuana (2023)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.75 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.3 years (2008 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

42 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate — total

12.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate — male

13.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

10.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

74.6 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

71.6 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

77.7 years

Total fertility rate

1.85 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 98.4% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

6.1% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

10.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

2.59 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Hospital bed density

1 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 98.2% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 1.8% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

28.9% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

4.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

3.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

0.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

0.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

13.8% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

21.8% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

6.3% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.2% (2022 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

53% (2023 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

3.6% (2018)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

20.7% (2018)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

14.2% national budget (2022 est.)

Literacy — total population

95% (2020 est.)

Literacy — male

96% (2020 est.)

Literacy — female

94% (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — total

15 years (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — male

14 years (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — female

15 years (2022 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

Environmental issues

Scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; natural freshwater resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; urban river pollution from raw sewage and industrial effluents; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; serious air and water pollution in urban areas; land subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion

International environmental agreements — party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

None of the selected agreements

Climate

Varies from tropical to desert

Land use — agricultural land

50.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 10.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 2.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 38.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

34.2% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

15.1% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

81.6% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

1.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

441.049 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from coal and metallurgical coke

32.087 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

228.279 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from consumed natural gas

180.684 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

17.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Methane emissions — energy

1,389 kt (2022-2024 est.)

Methane emissions — agriculture

2,372.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — waste

1,832.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — other

49.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

53.1 million tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

9.6% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

13.33 billion cubic meters (2022)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

7.953 billion cubic meters (2022)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

68.523 billion cubic meters (2022)

Total renewable water resources

461.888 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Geoparks — total global geoparks and regional networks

2

Geoparks — global geoparks and regional networks

Comarca Minera, Hidalgo; Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca (2023)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

United Mexican States

Country name — conventional short form

Mexico

Country name — local long form

Estados Unidos Mexicanos

Country name — local short form

Mexico

Country name — former

Mexican Republic, Mexican Empire

Country name — etymology

Name may derive from one of the Nahuatl (Aztec) names for the capital city, Metztlixihtlico, which probably meant "the center of the moon;" alternatively, it may come from Mexica, the original name of the Aztec people

Government type

Federal presidential republic

Capital — name

Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico)

Capital — geographic coordinates

19 26 N, 99 08 W

Capital — time difference

UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Capital — daylight saving time

DST was permanently removed in October 2022

Capital — time zone note

Mexico has four time zones

Capital — etymology

Name may derive from one of the Nahuatl (Aztec) names for the capital city, Metztlixihtlico, which probably meant "the center of the moon;" alternatively, it may come from Mexica, the original name of the Aztec people

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, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan, Zacatecas

Legal system

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

Constitution — history

Several previous; latest approved 5 February 1917

Constitution — amendment process

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

International law organization participation

Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

Yes

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

Yes

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

Not specified

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch — chief of state

President Claudia SHEINBAUM Pardo (since 1 October 2024)

Executive branch — head of government

President Claudia SHEINBAUM Pardo (since 1 October 2024)

Executive branch — cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

Executive branch — election/appointment process

President directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a single 6-year term

Executive branch — most recent election date

2 June 2024

Executive branch — election results

2024: Claudia SHEINBAUM Pardo elected president; percent of vote - Claudia SHEINBAUM Pardo (MORENA) 59.4%, Xóchitl GÁLVEZ Ruiz (PAN) 27.9%, Jorge Álvarez MÁYNEZ (MC) 10.4%, other 2.3% 2018: Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR elected president; percent of vote - Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR (MORENA) 53.2%, Ricardo ANAYA Cortés (PAN) 22.3%, José Antonio MEADE Kuribreña (PRI) 16.4%, Jaime RODRÍGUEZ Calderón (independent) 5.2%, other 2.9% 2012: Enrique PEÑA NIETO elected president; percent of vote - Enrique PEÑA NIETO (PRI) 38.2%, Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR (PRD) 31.6%, Josefina Eugenia VÁZQUEZ Mota (PAN) 25.4%, other 4.8%

Executive branch — expected date of next election

2030

Legislative branch — legislature name

Congress of the Union (Congreso de la Unión)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Bicameral

Legislative branch - lower chamber — chamber name

Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — number of seats

500 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — electoral system

Mixed system

Legislative branch - lower chamber — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch - lower chamber — term in office

3 years

Legislative branch - lower chamber — most recent election date

6/2/2024

Legislative branch - lower chamber — parties elected and seats per party

National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) (236); Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM) (77); National Action Party (PAN) (72); Labour Party (PT) (51); Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) (35); Citizens' Movement (MC) (27); Other (2)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — percentage of women in chamber

50.2%

Legislative branch - lower chamber — expected date of next election

June 2027

Legislative branch - upper chamber — chamber name

Senate (Cámara de Senadores)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — number of seats

128 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — electoral system

Mixed system

Legislative branch - upper chamber — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch - upper chamber — term in office

6 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber — most recent election date

6/2/2024

Legislative branch - upper chamber — parties elected and seats per party

National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) (60); National Action Party (PAN) (22); Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) (16); Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM) (14); Labour Party (PT) (9); Other (7)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — percentage of women in chamber

50%

Legislative branch - upper chamber — expected date of next election

June 2030

Judicial branch — highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (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)

Judicial branch — 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

Judicial branch — subordinate courts

Federal level includes circuit, collegiate, and unitary courts; state and district level courts

Political parties

Citizen's Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano) or MC Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) or PRI Labor Party (Partido del Trabajo) or PT Mexican Green Ecological Party (Partido Verde Ecologista de México) or PVEM Movement for National Regeneration (Movimiento Regeneración Nacional) or MORENA National Action Party (Partido Acción Nacional) or PAN Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolución Democrática) or PRD

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Esteban MOCTEZUMA Barragán (since 20 April 2021)

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (202) 728-1600

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (202) 728-1698

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

Mexembusa@sre.gob.mx https://embamex.sre.gob.mx/eua/index.php/en/

Diplomatic representation in the US — consulate(s) general

Atlanta (GA), Austin (TX), Boston (MA), Chicago (IL), Dallas (TX), Denver (GA), El Paso (TX), Houston (TX), Laredo (TX), Miami (FL), New York (NY), Nogales (AZ), Phoenix (AZ), Raleigh (NC), Sacramento (CA), San Antonio (TX), San Diego (CA), San Francisco (CA), San Jose (CA), San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation in the US — consulate(s)

Albuquerque (NM), Boise (ID), Brownsville (TX), Calexico (CA), Del Rio (TX), Detroit (MI), Douglas (AZ), Eagle Pass (TX), Fresno (CA), Indianapolis (IN), Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas (NV), Little Rock (AR), Los Angeles (CA), McAllen (TX), Milwaukee (WI), New Orleans (LA), Oklahoma City (OK), Omaha (NE), Orlando (FL), Oxnard (CA), Philadelphia (PA), Portland (OR), Presidio (TX), Salt Lake City (UT), San Bernardino (CA), Santa Ana (CA), Seattle (WA), St. Paul (MN), Tucson (AZ), Yuma (AZ)

Diplomatic representation from the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Ronald D. JOHNSON (since 19 May 2025)

Diplomatic representation from the US — embassy

Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtémoc, 06500 Mexico, CDMX

Diplomatic representation from the US — mailing address

8700 Mexico City Place, Washington DC 20521-8700

Diplomatic representation from the US — telephone

(011) [52]-55-5080-2000

Diplomatic representation from the US — FAX

(011) 52-55-5080-2005

Diplomatic representation from the US — email address and website

ACSMexicoCity@state.gov https://mx.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation from the US — consulate(s) general

Ciudad Juárez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mérida, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana

International organization participation

ACS, APEC, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CABEI, 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), UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, USMCA, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Independence

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

Flag

Description: three equal vertical bands of green (left 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 meaning: green stands for hope, joy, and love; white for peace and honesty; red for hardiness, bravery, strength, and valor

National symbol(s)

Golden eagle, dahlia

National color(s)

Green, white, red

National coat of arms

Adopted in 1968, Mexico’s coat of arms is also used as the Seal of the United Mexican States. The Mexican Golden Eagle, a national symbol, is perched on a prickly pear cactus and eats a snake. Beneath the eagle, oak and laurel leaves are joined by a ribbon in the national colors. The image symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.

National anthem(s) — title

"Himno Nacional Mexicano" (National Anthem of Mexico)

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Francisco Gonzalez BOCANEGRA/Jaime Nuno ROCA

National anthem(s) — history

Adopted 1943

National heritage — total World Heritage Sites

36 (28 cultural, 6 natural, 2 mixed)

National heritage — selected World Heritage Site locales

Historic Mexico City (c); Earliest 16th-Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl (c); Teotihuacan (c); Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino (n); Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (n); Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley (m); Historic Puebla (c); El Tajin (c); Historic Tlacotalpan (c); Historic Oaxaca and Monte Albán (c); Palenque (c); Chichen-Itza (c); Uxmal (c); Wixárika Route through Sacred Sites to Wirikuta (Tatehuarí Huajuyé) (c)

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

Economic overview

Upper-middle-income economy; highly integrated with US via trade and nearshore manufacturing; weak domestic demand, fiscal consolidation, and trade uncertainty contributing to sluggish growth; low unemployment; challenges from income inequality, corruption, and cartel-based violence

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$2.883 trillion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$2.842 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$2.751 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2024

1.5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.3% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.7% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$22,000 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$21,900 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$21,400 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.853 trillion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

4.7% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.5% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

7.9% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

3.8% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

31.6% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

58.2% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — household consumption

70.3% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — government consumption

11.2% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in fixed capital

24.2% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in inventories

0% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — exports of goods and services

36.8% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — imports of goods and services

-37.9% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products

Sugarcane, maize, milk, oranges, sorghum, tomatoes, chicken, chillies/peppers, wheat, lemons/limes (2023)

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

0.2% (2024 est.)

Labor force

60.959 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2024

2.8% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2023

2.8% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

3.3% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

5.5% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

5.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

6.1% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

36.3% (2022 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income — Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

43.5 (2022 est.)

Average household expenditures — on food

25.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Average household expenditures — on alcohol and tobacco

2.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — lowest 10%

2.1% (2022 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — highest 10%

34.4% (2022 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2024

3.7% of GDP (2024 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2023

3.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

4.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Budget — revenues

$342.571 billion (2023 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$417.843 billion (2023 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2023

45.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

14.2% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2024

-$5.986 billion (2024 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2023

-$5.611 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2022

-$17.701 billion (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2024

$680.798 billion (2024 est.)

Exports — Exports 2023

$649.729 billion (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$630.347 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - partners

USA 76%, Canada 5%, China 2%, Germany 2%, Spain 1% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Cars, vehicle parts/accessories, crude petroleum, trucks, computers (2023)

Imports — Imports 2024

$697.067 billion (2024 est.)

Imports — Imports 2023

$674.695 billion (2023 est.)

Imports — Imports 2022

$672.914 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - partners

USA 46%, China 20%, Germany 4%, Japan 3%, S. Korea 3% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Vehicle parts/accessories, refined petroleum, integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, cars (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$232.035 billion (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$214.317 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$201.119 billion (2022 est.)

Debt - external — Debt - external 2023

$306.308 billion (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Currency

Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2024

18.305 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

17.759 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

20.127 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

20.272 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

21.486 (2020 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity access — electrification - urban areas

99.8%

Electricity access — electrification - rural areas

100%

Electricity — installed generating capacity

105.586 million kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

332.042 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — exports

1.97 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — imports

4.863 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

45.47 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

79.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — nuclear

3.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

4.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — wind

5.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — hydroelectricity

5.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — geothermal

1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — biomass and waste

1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Nuclear energy — Number of operational nuclear reactors

2 (2025)

Nuclear energy — Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

1.55GW (2025 est.)

Nuclear energy — Percent of total electricity production

4.9% (2023 est.)

Coal — production

6.296 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — consumption

15.132 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — exports

4,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — imports

8.809 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — proven reserves

1.16 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum — total petroleum production

2.101 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

1.741 million bbl/day (2024 est.)

Petroleum — crude oil estimated reserves

5.786 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas — production

33.118 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — consumption

97.118 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — exports

27.92 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — imports

64.289 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — proven reserves

180.322 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

57.539 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

25.637 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

20 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

140 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

100 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

Telecom reform in 2013 ended a quasi-monopoly; now 885 TV stations and 1,841 radio stations, most privately owned; foreign satellite and cable operators are available; completed transition to digital in 2016 (2022)

Internet country code

.mx

Internet users — percent of population

81% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

26.6 million (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

21 (2023 est.)

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

XA

Airports

1,580 (2025)

Heliports

488 (2025)

Railways — total

23,389 km (2017)

Railways — standard gauge

23,389 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified)

Merchant marine — total

674 (2023)

Merchant marine — by type

Bulk carrier 4, general cargo 11, oil tanker 32, other 627

Ports — total ports

35 (2024)

Ports — large

0

Ports — medium

7

Ports — small

10

Ports — very small

14

Ports — size unknown

4

Ports — ports with oil terminals

21

Ports — key ports

Acapulco, Ensenada, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Tampico, Tuxpan, Veracruz

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

Military and security forces

The Mexican Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de México) are divided between the Secretariat of National Defense and the Secretariat of the Navy: Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional, SEDENA): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Mexicana, FAM), National Guard (Guardia Nacional); 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)) Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection/SEDENA: National Guard (2025)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2024

0.9% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2023

0.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2022

0.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2021

0.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2020

0.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

Information varies; approximately 260,000 active-duty Armed Forces; approximately 110,000 National Guard personnel (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

The Mexican military inventory includes a mix of domestically produced and imported armaments from a variety of mostly Western suppliers, particularly the US; Mexico's defense industry produces light armored vehicles and some naval vessels, as well as small arms and other miscellaneous equipment (2025)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age (16 with parental consent) for voluntary service for men and women; men at age 18 subject to lottery-based 12-month compulsory military service (2025)

Military - note

The Mexican military is responsible for defending the independence, integrity, and sovereignty of Mexico, as well as providing for internal security, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, and socio-economic development; internal security duties are a key focus, particularly combating narcotics trafficking and organized crime groups, as well as border control and immigration enforcement; the constitution was amended in 2019 to grant the president the authority to use the armed forces to protect internal and national security, and courts have upheld the legality of the armed forces’ role in law enforcement activities in support of civilian authorities through 2028; the military also provides security for strategic facilities, such as oil production infrastructure, and administers most of the country's land and sea ports and customs services, plus a state-owned development bank; in addition, President LÓPEZ OBRADOR placed the military in charge of a growing number of infrastructure projects, such as building and operating a new airport for Mexico City and sections of a train line in the country’s southeast (2025)

🛰️ Space⬆️ Top

Space agency/agencies

Mexican Space Agency (Agencia Espacial Mexicana or AEM; established 2010 and began operating in 2013) (2025)

Space program overview

Has a national space policy with a focus on expanding Mexico's commercial space sector, including acquiring satellites and developing specialists, technologies, and infrastructure; manufactures and operates communications and scientific satellites; conducts research on a range of space-related capabilities and technologies, including astronomy, astrophysics, Earth and weather sciences, remote sensing, robotics, satellite payloads, and telecommunications; works with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial space industries, including those of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the ESA, individual ESA member states (particularly France, Germany, and the UK), India, Japan, Peru, Russia, Ukraine, and the US; led effort to establish the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency and hosts its headquarters (2025)

Key space-program milestones

1962-1977 - sounding rocket program 1985 - first Mexican in space on US Space Shuttle; first communications satellite (Morelos-1) built by US and released from the US Space Shuttle 2015 - first successful launch of MEXSAT series of communications satellites by the US 2021 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration 2024 - contributed five autonomous micro-robots (Colmena project) on failed US commercial Moon lander mission

🚨 Terrorism⬆️ Top

Terrorist group(s)

Gulf Cartel (CDG); Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG); La Mara Salvatruche (MS-13); Northeast Cartel (CDN); The New Family Michoacana (LNFM); Sinaloa Cartel; United Cartels (CU)

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — refugees

417,546 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — IDPs

390,250 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — stateless persons

13 (2024 est.)

Illicit drugs — USG identification

Major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)