Introduction :: Mexico
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 :: Mexico
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
Area – comparative
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: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
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
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 :: Mexico
Population
128,649,565 (July 2020 est.)
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
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 50.3
youth dependency ratio: 38.8
elderly dependency ratio: 11.4
potential support ratio: 8.7 (2020 est.)
Median age
total: 29.3 years
male: 28.2 years
female: 30.4 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate
1.04% (2020 est.)
Birth rate
17.6 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Death rate
5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Net migration rate
-1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 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: 80.7% of total population (2020)
rate of urbanization: 1.59% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas – population
21.782 million MEXICO CITY (capital), 5.179 million Guadalajara, 4.874 million Monterrey, 3.195 million Puebla, 2.467 million Toluca de Lerdo, 2.140 million Tijuana (2020)
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: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Mother’s mean age at first birth
21.3 years (2008 est.)
Maternal mortality rate
33 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.7 years
male: 73.9 years
female: 79.6 years (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.19 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
66.9% (2015)
Drinking water source
improved:** urban:** 100% of population
rural: 96.6% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved:** urban:** 0% of population
rural: 3.4% of population
total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Current Health Expenditure
5.5% (2017)
Physicians density
2.38 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density
1.5 beds/1,000 population (2015)
Sanitation facility access
improved:** urban:** 99.3% of population
rural: 91.9% of population
total: 97.8% of population
unimproved:** urban:** 0.7% of population
rural: 8.1% of population
total: 2.2% of population (2017 est.)
HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate
0.2% (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS
230,000 (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS – deaths
4,000 (2017 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: intermediate (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
note: a new coronavirus is causing sustained community spread of respiratory illness (COVID-19) in Mexico; sustained community spread means that people have been infected with the virus, but how or where they became infected is not known, and the spread is ongoing; illness with this virus has ranged from mild to severe with fatalities reported; as of 5 August 2020, Mexico has reported 443,813 confirmed cases of COVID19 with 48,012 deaths
Obesity – adult prevalence rate
28.9% (2016)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
4.2% (2016)
Education expenditures
4.9% of GDP (2016)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.4%
male: 95.8%
female: 94.6% (2018)
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.)
Government :: Mexico
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 2020
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
Note: in mid-February 2020, the Mexican president endorsed a bill on judicial reform, which proposes changes to 7 articles of the constitution and the issuance of a new Organic Law on the Judicial Branch of the Federation
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: 1 728-1600
FAX: 1 728-1698
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
None
Economy :: Mexico
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, Mexicos economic growth has averaged 2% annually, falling short of private-sector expectations that President PENA NIETOs 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. Mexicos 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
GDP (official exchange rate)
$1.151 trillion (2017 est.)
GDP – real growth rate
2% (2017 est.)
2.9% (2016 est.)
3.3% (2015 est.)
GDP – per capita (PPP)
$19,900 (2017 est.)
$19,700 (2016 est.)
$19,400 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Gross national saving
21.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
21.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
20.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
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.)
Labor force
54.51 million (2017 est.)
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%
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)
Budget
revenues: 261.4 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 273.8 billion (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
22.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
-1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt
54.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
56.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
6% (2017 est.)
2.8% (2016 est.)
Current account balance
-$19.35 billion (2017 est.)
-$23.32 billion (2016 est.)
Exports
$409.8 billion (2017 est.)
$374.3 billion (2016 est.)
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.)
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
Debt – external
$445.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$450.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
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 :: Mexico
Electricity access
electrification – total population: 100% (2016)
Electricity – production
302.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity – consumption
258.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity – exports
7.308 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity – imports
3.532 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity – installed generating capacity
72.56 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity – from fossil fuels
71% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity – from nuclear fuels
2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity – from hydroelectric plants
17% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity – from other renewable sources
9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Crude oil – production
1.852 million bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil – exports
1.214 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil – imports
0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil – proved reserves
6.63 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum products – production
844,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products – consumption
1.984 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products – exports
155,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products – imports
867,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Natural gas – production
31.57 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas – consumption
81.61 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas – exports
36.81 million cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas – imports
50.12 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas – proved reserves
279.8 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
454.1 million Mt (2017 est.)
Communications :: Mexico
Telephones – fixed lines
total subscriptions: 21,645,699
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2018 est.)
Telephones – mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 120,173,510
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 95 (2018 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: adequate telephone service for business and government; improving quality and increasing mobile cellular availability, with mobile subscribers far outnumbering fixed-line subscribers; relatively low broadband and mobile penetration, potential for growth; extensive microwave radio relay network; considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable; two main MNOs despite efforts for competition; 5G development slow given the existing capabilities of LTE; Mexicos first local Internet Exchange Point opens in Mexico City; regulator strives to bring competition and foreign investment to Mexico; regulator brings back SIM card registration program (2020)
domestic: competition has spurred the mobile-cellular market; fixed-line teledensity exceeds 17 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is about 95 per 100 persons; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations (2018)
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 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)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic’s effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry – mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable, and satellite – has moderated
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: 82,843,369
percent of population: 65.77% (July 2018 est.)
Broadband – fixed subscriptions
total: 18,359,028
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (2018 est.)
Military and Security :: Mexico
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 (includes Gendarmerie), National Guard (2019)
note: the National Guard was formed in 2019 and consists of personnel from the Federal Police and military police units of the Army and Navy
Military expenditures
0.5% of GDP (2019)
0.54% of GDP (2018)
0.47% of GDP (2017)
0.56% of GDP (2016)
0.66% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Mexican armed forces have approximately 270,000 active personnel (200,000 Army; 60,000 Navy; 8,000 Air Force); approximately 60,000 National Guard (2019 est.)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Mexican military inventory includes a mix of domestically-produced and imported equipment from a variety of mostly Western suppliers; since 2010, France, Spain, and the US are the leading suppliers of military hardware to Mexico; Mexico’s defense industry produces naval vessels and light armored vehicles (2019 est.)
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 :: Mexico
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 mt-km (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
XA (2016)
Airports
1,714 (2013)
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 km 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified) (2017)
Roadways
total: 398,148 km (2017)
paved: 174,911 km (includes 10,362 km of expressways) (2017)
unpaved: 223,237 km (2017)
Waterways
2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals mostly connected with ports on the country’s east coast) (2012)
Merchant marine
total: 637
by type: bulk carrier 6, general cargo 10, oil tanker 35, other 586 (2019)
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 :: Mexico
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); 73,494 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2020)
IDPs: 345,000 (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) (2019)
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
Source: https://www.cia.gov
