Mexico - MX - MEX - MEX - North America

Last updated: April 23, 2025

Mexico Images

Mexico's towering and unpredictable Popocatepetl is the country's most active volcano and second-highest peak. The 5,462 m (17,919 ft) stratovolcano, located approximately 70 km (43.5 mi) southeast of Mexico City, is shown spewing ash, smoke, and gas during an eruption in January 2024. Popocatepetl means "Smoking Mountain" in the Nahuatl language. Photo courtesy of NASA.
The east-side view of El Castillo (The Castle), the famous Mayan pyramid at Chichen Itza in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, shows both restored and unrestored portions of the structure. Chichen Itza was founded in the fifth century A.D.
One of the smaller step pyramids at the massive archaeological site of Teotihuacan, Mexico (approximately 40 km or 25 mi northeast of Mexico City).
A view of the Palace of Palenque, in Mexico's Chiapas State. Palenque is one of the most archaeologically important lowland Maya sites; it reached its peak between A.D. 600-700. The Palace Complex is built atop an immense low platform, and was expanded and remodeled over the centuries.
The poinsettia, a traditional holiday plant, is native to Mexico and Central America. The Aztecs used the plant for red dye and for medicinal purposes. The poinsettia’s association with Christmas dates back to the 17th century when Franciscan friars in Mexico used them in holiday celebrations. The plant derives its name from the first US Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett. Picture courtesy of USDA/Peggy Greb
Mexico's towering and unpredictable Popocatepetl is the country's most active volcano and second-highest peak. The 5,462 m (17,919 ft) stratovolcano, located approximately 70 km (43.5 mi) southeast of Mexico City, is shown spewing ash, smoke, and gas during an eruption in January 2024. Popocatepetl means "Smoking Mountain" in the Nahuatl language. Photo courtesy of NASA.
The east-side view of El Castillo (The Castle), the famous Mayan pyramid at Chichen Itza in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, shows both restored and unrestored portions of the structure. Chichen Itza was founded in the fifth century A.D.

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Mexico Factbook Data

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Mark Coolidge JOHNSON (since January 2025)

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

mailing address: 8700 Mexico City Place, Washington DC 20521-8700

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

FAX: (011) 52-55-5080-2005

email address and website:
ACSMexicoCity@state.gov

https://mx.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juárez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mérida, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana

Age structure

0-14 years: 23.3% (male 15,647,805/female 14,754,004)

15-64 years: 68.6% (male 43,651,105/female 45,983,174)

65 years and over: 8.2% (2024 est.) (male 4,600,228/female 6,103,611)

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.

Geographic coordinates

23 00 N, 102 00 W

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Natural hazards

tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and 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), 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"

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Texas

slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age (16 with parental consent) for voluntary enlistment for men and women; 18 years of age for compulsory military service for men (selection for service determined by lottery); conscript service obligation is 12 months; those selected serve on Saturdays in a Batallón del Servicio Militar Nacional (National Military Service Battalion) composed entirely of 12-month Servicio Militar Nacional (SMN) conscripts; conscripts remain in reserve status until the age of 40; cadets enrolled in military schools from the age of 15 are considered members of the armed forces; National Guard: single men and women 18-30 years of age may volunteer (2024)

note: as of 2023, women comprised about 10% of the active-duty Army, Air Force, and Navy, and about 14% of the National Guard

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.

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, 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

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Military expenditures

0.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
0.7% of GDP (2022 est.)
0.7% of GDP (2021 est.)
0.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
0.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

Population below poverty line

36.3% (2022 est.)

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.1% (2022 est.)

highest 10%: 34.4% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Exports - commodities

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

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

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

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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

Agricultural products

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

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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)

note: the National Guard was formed in 2019 of personnel from the former Federal Police (disbanded in December 2019) and military police units of the Army and Navy

Budget

revenues: $282.751 billion (2022 est.)

expenditures: $327.211 billion (2022 est.)

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

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: DST was permanently removed in October 2022

time zone 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

Imports - commodities

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

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Climate

varies from tropical to desert

Coastline

9,330 km

Constitution

history: several previous; latest approved 5 February 1917

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

Exchange rates

Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
17.759 (2023 est.)
20.127 (2022 est.)
20.272 (2021 est.)
21.486 (2020 est.)
19.264 (2019 est.)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Claudia SHEINBAUM Pardo (since 1 October 2024)

head of government: President Claudia SHEINBAUM Pardo (since 1 October 2024)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 6-year term; election last held on 2 June 2024 (next to be held in 2030)

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%

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

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

Roadways

total: 704,884 km

paved: 175,526 km (includes 10,845 km of expressways)

unpaved: 529,358 km (2017)

Illicit drugs

significant source and transit country for fentanyl, fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, other synthetic opioids, cocaine from South America, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine destined for the United States; a destination for synthetic drug precursor chemicals from China, India, and other countries

Independence

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

Industries

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

Waterways

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

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)

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

note: in April 2021, the Mexican congress passed a judicial reform which changed 7 articles of the constitution and preceded a new Organic Law on the Judicial Branch of the Federation

Land boundaries

total: 4,389 km

border countries (3): Belize 276 km; Guatemala 958 km; US 3,155 km

Land use

agricultural land: 49.4% (2022 est.)

arable land: 9.8% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 1.5% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 38.1% (2022 est.)

forest: 33.7% (2022 est.)

other: 16.9% (2022 est.)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

legislature name: Congress of the Union (Congreso de la Unión)

legislative structure: bicameral

note: as of the 2018 election, senators will be eligible for a second term and deputies up to 4 consecutive terms

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 95.2%

male: 96.1%

female: 94.5% (2020)

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

Nationality

noun: Mexican(s)

adjective: Mexican

Natural resources

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

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: some of the world's most important food crops were first domesticated in Mexico; 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; avocado, amaranth, and chili peppers also emanate from Mexico, as does vanilla, the world's most popular aroma and flavor spice; although cherry tomatoes originated in Ecuador, their domestication in Mexico transformed them into the larger modern tomato

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 Yucatán Peninsula that divides the Gulf of America 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 America); 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

Economic overview

upper-middle income economy; highly integrated with US via trade and nearshore manufacturing; low unemployment; inflation gradually decreasing amid tight monetary policy; state intervention in energy sector and public infrastructure projects; challenges from income inequality, corruption, and cartel-based violence

Pipelines

17,210 km natural gas (2022), 9,757 km oil (2017), 10,237 km refined products (2020)

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
This Is For Mexico (Va Por México) (alliance that includes PAN, PRI, and PRD)
Together We Make History (Juntos Hacemos Historia) (alliance that included MORENA, PT, PVEM) (dissolved 23 December 2020)

Railways

total: 23,389 km (2017)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: with a large population and relatively low broadband and mobile penetration, (86 lines for mobile broadband for every 100 habitants in June 2021) Mexico’s telecom sector has potential for growth; adequate telephone service for business and government; improving quality and increasing mobile cellular availability, with mobile subscribers far outnumbering fixed-line subscribers (24.6 million fixed line subscribers and 125 million mobile line subscribers in June 2021); relatively low broadband and mobile penetration, potential for growth and international investment; extensive microwave radio relay network; considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable; 5G development slow in part due to high costs (2021)

domestic: fixed-line teledensity 19 lines per every 100; mobile-cellular teledensity is 98 per 100 persons (2021)

international: country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain, and Italy; the ARCOS-1 and the MAYA-1 submarine cable system together provide access to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the U.S.; Pan-American Crossing (PAC) submarine cable system provides access to Panama, California, U.S., and Costa Rica; Lazaro Cardenas-Manzanillo Santiago submarines cable system (LCMSSCS) provides access to Michoacan, Guerrero, and Colima, Mexico; AMX-1 submarine cable system with access to Colombia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Gulf of California Cable submarine cable systems that connects La Paz, Baja California Sur and Topolobambo, Sinaloa; and Aurora submarine cable system provides access to Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, and the U.S. satellite earth stations - 124 (36 Intelsat, 1 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), 9 Panamsat, numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk connections (2022)

Terrain

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

Government type

federal presidential republic

Country name

conventional long form: United Mexican States

conventional short form: Mexico

local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos

local short form: Mexico

former: Mexican Republic, Mexican Empire

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

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

Map references

North America

Irrigated land

59,910 sq km (2022)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Esteban MOCTEZUMA Barragán (since 20 April 2021)

chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006

telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600

FAX: [1] (202) 728-1698

email address and website:
mexembusa@sre.gob.mx

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

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)

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)

Internet users

percent of population: 81% (2023 est.)

Internet country code

.mx

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 35,755 (Honduras), 13,531 (El Salvador) (mid-year 2022); 113,108 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2023)

IDPs: 386,000 (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) (2022)

stateless persons: 13 (2022)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.789 trillion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Credit ratings

Fitch rating: BBB- (2020)

Moody's rating: Baa1 (2020)

Standard & Poors rating: BBB (2020)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Total renewable water resources

461.89 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 15 years (2020)

Urbanization

urban population: 81.6% of total population (2023)

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

Broadcast media

telecom reform in 2013 enabled the creation of new broadcast television channels after decades of a quasi-monopoly; Mexico has 885 TV stations and 1,841 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 (2022)

Drinking water source

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 98.3% of population

total: 99.7% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: 1.7% of population

total: 0.3% of population (2020 est.)

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

This is an audio of the National Anthem for Mexico. The national anthem is generally a patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.

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)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Physician density

2.59 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Hospital bed density

1 beds/1,000 population (2018)

National symbol(s)

golden eagle, dahlia; national colors: green, white, red

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.3 years (2008 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

73.1% (2018)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 70.3% (2023 est.)

government consumption: 11.1% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 24.3% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.3% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services: 36% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services: -37.2% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 49.4

youth dependency ratio: 37.3

elderly dependency ratio: 12.2

potential support ratio: 8.2 (2021 est.)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: not specified

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

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

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas: 99.8%

electrification - rural areas: 100%

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 16 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 370

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 64,569,640 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,090,380,000 (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Sanitation facility access

improved:

urban: 99.9% of population

rural: 96.4% of population

total: 99.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.1% of population

rural: 3.6% of population

total: 0.8% of population (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

note: Mexico does not collect census data on ethnicity

Religions

Roman Catholic 78%, Protestant/evangelical Christian 11.2%, other 0.002%, unaffiliated (includes atheism) 10.6% (2020 est.)

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.)

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.

Spanish audio sample

Imports - partners

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

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Elevation

highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,636 m

lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m

mean elevation: 1,111 m

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; in recent years, internal security duties have been a key focus, particularly in countering 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 (2024)

Current health expenditure

6.1% of GDP (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 220,000 armed forces personnel (160,000 Army; 10,000 Air Force; 50,000 Navy, including about 20,000 marines); approximately 110,000 National Guard personnel (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Mexican military inventory includes a mix of domestically produced and imported weapons and equipment from a variety of mostly Western suppliers, particularly the US; a considerable portion of its inventory, such as ships and fighter aircraft, are older, secondhand items from the US; over the past decade, the Mexican military has made efforts to acquire more modern equipment; Mexico's defense industry produces some naval vessels and light armored vehicles, as well as small arms and other miscellaneous equipment (2023)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 13.17 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 8.56 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 67.83 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 53.1 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2.655 million tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 5% (2013 est.)

Average household expenditures

on food: 25.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco: 2.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 17.83 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 486.41 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 135.77 megatons (2020 est.)

Major aquifers

Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Aquifer

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Gulf of America) Rio Grande/Bravo (607,965 sq km)
Pacific Ocean drainage: (Gulf of California) Colorado (703,148 sq km)

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s): Laguna de Chapala - 1,140 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

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 35 (27 cultural, 6 natural, 2 mixed)

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)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 3.6%

women married by age 18: 20.7% (2018 est.)

Coal

production: 6.296 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption: 15.132 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports: 4,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports: 8.809 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves: 1.16 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 79.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear: 3.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar: 4.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind: 5.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity: 5.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

geothermal: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

biomass and waste: 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Natural gas

production: 33.118 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption: 97.118 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports: 27.92 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports: 64.289 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves: 180.322 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 2.101 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 1.741 million bbl/day (2024 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 5.786 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Terrorist group(s)

Terrorist group(s): Gulf Cartel (CDG); Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG); Northeast Cartel (CDN); The New Family Michoacana (LNFM); Sinaloa Cartel; United Cartels (CU)

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Gross reproduction rate

0.88 (2024 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

56.6% (2023 est.)

Remittances

3.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
4.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
4.18% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Nuclear energy

Number of operational nuclear reactors: 2 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 1.55GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production: 4.9% (2023 est.)

Space program overview

the AEM’s focus is on coordinating Mexico’s space policy and the country’s commercial space sector, including developing specialists, technologies, and infrastructure, and acquiring satellites; manufactures and operates communications and scientific satellites; conducts research in a range of space-related capabilities and technologies, including satellites and satellite payloads, telecommunications, remote sensing, robotics, Earth and weather sciences, astronomy, and astrophysics; has relations with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial space industries, including those of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the European Space Agency (ESA) and its member states (particularly France, Germany, and the UK), India, Peru, Russia, Ukraine, and the US; leading member of the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) (2024)

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Space agency/agencies

Mexican Space Agency (Agencia Espacial Mexicana or AEM; established 2010 and began operating in 2013) (2024)

Geoparks

total global geoparks and regional networks: 2

global geoparks and regional networks: Comarca Minera, Hidalgo; Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca (2023)

Ports

total ports: 35 (2024)

large: 0

medium: 7

small: 10

very small: 14

size unknown: 4

ports with oil terminals: 21

key ports: Acapulco, Ensenada, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Tampico, Tuxpan, Veracruz

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name: Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados)

number of seats: 500 (all directly elected)

electoral system: mixed system

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 3 years

most recent election date: 6/2/2024

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)

percentage of women in chamber: 50.2%

expected date of next election: June 2027

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name: Senate (Cámara de Senadores)

number of seats: 128 (all directly elected)

electoral system: mixed system

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 6 years

most recent election date: 6/2/2024

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)

percentage of women in chamber: 50%

expected date of next election: June 2030

Labor force

59.925 million (2023 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 6.1% (2023 est.)

male: 5.8% (2023 est.)

female: 6.7% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Net migration rate

-0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Median age

total: 30.8 years (2024 est.)

male: 28.8 years

female: 32.7 years

Debt - external

$313.204 billion (2023 est.)

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Maternal mortality ratio

59 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$214.317 billion (2023 est.)
$201.119 billion (2022 est.)
$207.799 billion (2021 est.)

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Public debt

45.26% of GDP (2023 est.)

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate

2.81% (2023 est.)
3.26% (2022 est.)
4.02% (2021 est.)

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Population

total: 130,739,927 (2024 est.)

male: 63,899,138

female: 66,840,789

Carbon dioxide emissions

441.049 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 32.087 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 228.279 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 180.684 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Area

total : 1,964,375 sq km

land: 1,943,945 sq km

water: 20,430 sq km

Taxes and other revenues

14.27% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.873 trillion (2023 est.)
$2.784 trillion (2022 est.)
$2.685 trillion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

Airports

1,580 (2025)

Infant mortality rate

total: 12.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 13.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 10.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 140 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 100 (2022 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

43.5 (2022 est.)

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.53% (2023 est.)
7.9% (2022 est.)
5.69% (2021 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Current account balance

-$5.477 billion (2023 est.)
-$17.599 billion (2022 est.)
-$4.494 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Real GDP per capita

$22,100 (2023 est.)
$21,600 (2022 est.)
$21,000 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 26.6 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 13.1% (2020 est.)

male: 19.9% (2020 est.)

female: 6.2% (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

28.9% (2016)

Energy consumption per capita

57.539 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Death rate

6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Birth rate

14.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 105.586 million kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 332.042 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports: 1.97 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports: 4.863 billion kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 45.47 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 674 (2023)

by type: bulk carrier 4, general cargo 11, oil tanker 32, other 627

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.2% (2021)

Imports

$674.695 billion (2023 est.)
$672.914 billion (2022 est.)
$560.842 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports

$649.729 billion (2023 est.)
$630.347 billion (2022 est.)
$537.714 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Heliports

488 (2025)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 25.637 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2023 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 4.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 3.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 0.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.6 years (2024 est.)

male: 71.6 years

female: 77.7 years

Real GDP growth rate

3.2% (2023 est.)
3.69% (2022 est.)
5.74% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Industrial production growth rate

3.51% (2023 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 3.8% (2023 est.)

industry: 31.6% (2023 est.)

services: 58.6% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Revenue from forest resources

0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Education expenditures

4.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

Population growth rate

0.72% (2024 est.)

Sources: