·
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.
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
country comparison to the world: 15
Area - comparative:
slightly less
than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 4,389 km
border countries (3): Belize 276 km, Guatemala
958 km, US 3155 km
Coastline:
9,330 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 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 US; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain
crops, almost certainly originated in Mexico
note 2: 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 3: 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
note 3: 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:
125,959,205 (July
2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Nationality:
noun: Mexican(s)
adjective: Mexican
Ethnic groups:
mestizo
(Amerindian-Spanish) 62%, predominantly Amerindian 21%, Amerindian 7%, other
10% (mostly European) (2012 est.)
note: Mexico
does not collect census data on ethnicity
Languages:
Spanish only
92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified
0.8% (2005)
note: indigenous
languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages
Religions:
Roman Catholic
82.7%, Pentecostal 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, other Evangelical Churches 5%,
other 1.9%, none 4.7%, unspecified 2.7% (2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.61% (male 17,143,124 /female
16,378,309)
15-24 years: 17.35% (male 11,072,817 /female
10,779,029)
25-54 years: 40.91% (male 24,916,204 /female
26,612,272)
55-64 years: 7.87% (male 4,538,167 /female 5,375,867)
65 years and over: 7.26% (male
4,079,513 /female 5,063,903) (2018 est.)
population pyramid: 
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 51.4 (2015
est.)
youth dependency ratio: 41.6 (2015
est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 9.8 (2015
est.)
potential support ratio: 10.2 (2015
est.)
Median age:
total: 28.6 years
male: 27.5 years
female: 29.7 years (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
Population growth rate:
1.09% (2018
est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
Birth rate:
18.1
births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Death rate:
5.4 deaths/1,000
population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Net migration rate:
-1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
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: 80.2% of total
population (2018)
rate of urbanization: 1.59% annual rate of
change (2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
21.581 million
MEXICO CITY (capital), 5.023 million Guadalajara, 4.712 million Monterrey,
3.097 million Puebla, 2.354 million Toluca de Lerdo, 2.058 million
Tijuana (2018)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.85 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female (2017
est.)
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2017
est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth:
21.3 years (2008
est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
38
deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
Infant mortality rate:
total: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018
est.)
male: 12.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018
est.)
female: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.3 years (2018
est.)
male: 73.5 years (2018 est.)
female: 79.2 years (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Total fertility rate:
2.22 children
born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
66.9% (2015)
Health expenditures:
6.3% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 101
Physicians density:
2.23
physicians/1,000 population (2015)
Hospital bed density:
1.5 beds/1,000
population (2015)
Drinking water source:
improved:urban: 97.2% of
population
rural: 92.1% of population
total: 96.1% of population
unimproved:urban: 2.8% of
population
rural: 7.9% of population
total: 3.9% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:urban: 88% of
population (2015 est.)
rural: 74.5% of population (2015 est.)
total: 85.2% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved:urban: 12% of
population (2015 est.)
rural: 25.5% of population (2015 est.)
total: 14.8% of population (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence
rate:
0.3% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
230,000 (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,000 (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate (2016)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial
diarrhea and hepatitis A (2016)
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2016)
note: active
local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been
identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a
large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective
mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood
transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus
to her fetus
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
28.9% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 29
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
3.9% (2015)
country comparison to the world: 89
Education expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 60
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2016
est.)
total population: 94.9% (2016 est.)
male: 95.8% (2016 est.)
female: 94% (2016 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years (2016)
male: 14 years (2016)
female: 14 years (2016)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 6.9% (2017 est.)
male: 6.3% (2017 est.)
female: 8.8% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
·
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 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
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
2017 (2018)
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)
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)
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%
Senate - percent of vote by party - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MORENA 58, PAN 22, PRI 14, PRD 9, MC 7, PT 7, PES 5, PVEM 5, PNA/PANAL 1; composition - men 65, women 63, percent of women 49.3%
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MORENA 193, PAN 79, PT 61, PES 58, PRI 42, MC 26, PRD 23, PVEM 17, PNA/PANAL 1; composition - men 259, women 241, percent of women 48.2%; note - total National Congress percent of women 48.4%
note: for the 2018 election, senators will be eligible
for a second term and deputies up to 4 consecutive terms
Judicial branch:
highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de
Justicia de la Nacion (consists of the chief justice and 11 justices and
organized into civil, criminal, administrative, and labor panels) and the
Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (organized into the superior court,
with 7 judges including the court president, and 5 regional courts, each with 3
judges)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme
Court justices nominated by the president of the republic and approved by
two-thirds vote of the members present in the Senate; justices serve 15-year
terms; Electoral Tribunal superior and regional court judges nominated by the
Supreme Court and elected by two-thirds vote of members present in the Senate;
superior court president elected from among its members to hold office for a
4-year term; other judges of the superior and regional courts serve staggered,
9-year terms
subordinate courts: federal level includes
circuit, collegiate, and unitary courts; state and district level courts
Political parties and
leaders:
Citizen's Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano) or MC
[Clemente CASTANEDA]
Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) or PRI [Claudia RUIZ Massieu]
Labor Party (Partido del Trabajo) or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez]
Mexican Green Ecological Party (Partido Verde Ecologista de Mexico) or PVEM [Carlos Alberto PUENTE Salas]
Movement for National Regeneration (Movimiento Regeneracion Nacional) or MORENA [Andres Manuel LOPEZ Obrador]
National Action Party (Partido Accion Nacional) or PAN [Damian ZEPEDA Vidales]
Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) or PRD [Manuel GRANADOS]
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:
chief of mission: Ambassador Martha
BARCENA Coqui (since 11 January 2019)
chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20006
telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600
FAX: [1] (202) 728-1698
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Austin, Boston,
Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso (TX), Houston, Laredo (TX), Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, Nogales (AZ), Phoenix, Sacramento (CA), San Antonio (TX), San
Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Saint Paul (MN)
consulate(s): Albuquerque (NM), Anchorage (AK), Boise (ID),
Brownsville (TX), Calexico (CA), Del Rio (TX), Detroit, Douglas (AZ), Eagle
Pass (TX), Fresno (CA), Indianapolis (IN), Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas, Little
Rock (AR), McAllen (TX), Minneapolis (MN), New Orleans, Omaha (NE), Orlando
(FL), Oxnard (CA), Philadelphia, Portland (OR), Presidio (TX), Raleigh (NC),
Salt Lake City, San Bernardino (CA), Santa Ana (CA), Seattle, Tucson (AZ), Yuma
(AZ); note - Washington DC Consular Section is located in a separate building
from the Mexican Embassy and has jurisdiction over DC, parts of Virginia,
Maryland, and West Virginia
note: Martha BARCENA Coqui is Mexico's first-ever
female ambassador to the United States
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant);
Charge d'Affaires John S. CREAMER (since 16 July 2018)
embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc,
06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal
mailing address: P. O. Box 9000,
Brownsville, TX 78520-9000
telephone: (011) 52-55-5080-2000
FAX: (011) 52-55-5080-2005
consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo,
Matamoros, Merida, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana
Flag description:
three equal
vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; Mexico's coat of arms (an
eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus) is centered in the white
band; green signifies hope, joy, and love; white represents peace and honesty;
red stands for hardiness, bravery, strength, and valor; the coat of arms is
derived from a legend that the wandering Aztec people were to settle at a
location where they would see an eagle on a cactus eating a snake; the city
they founded, Tenochtitlan, is now Mexico City
note: similar
to the flag of Italy, which is shorter, uses lighter shades of green and red,
and does not display anything in its white band
National symbol(s):
golden eagle;
national colors: green, white, red
National anthem:
name: "Himno Nacional Mexicano" (National
Anthem of Mexico)
lyrics/music: Francisco Gonzalez BOCANEGRA/Jaime Nuno ROCA
note: adopted
1943, in use since 1854; also known as "Mexicanos, al grito de
Guerra" (Mexicans, to the War Cry); according to tradition, Francisco
Gonzalez BOCANEGRA, an accomplished poet, was uninterested in submitting lyrics
to a national anthem contest; his fiancee locked him in a room and refused to
release him until the lyrics were completed
·
Economy :: 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,
Mexico’s economic growth has averaged 2% annually, falling short of
private-sector expectations that President PENA NIETO’s sweeping reforms would
bolster economic prospects. Growth is predicted to remain below potential given
falling oil production, weak oil prices, structural issues such as low
productivity, high inequality, a large informal sector employing over half of
the workforce, weak rule of law, and corruption. Mexico’s economy remains
vulnerable to uncertainty surrounding the future of NAFTA — because the United
States is its top trading partner and the two countries share integrated supply
chains — and to potential shifts in domestic policies following the
inauguration of a new a president in December 2018.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.463 trillion (2017
est.)
$2.413 trillion (2016
est.)
$2.346 trillion (2015
est.)
note: data
are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 11
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.151 trillion (2017
est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2017
est.)
2.9% (2016
est.)
3.3% (2015
est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$19,900 (2017 est.)
$19,700 (2016
est.)
$19,400 (2015
est.)
note: data
are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 90
Gross national saving:
21.4% of GDP (2017
est.)
21.6% of GDP (2016
est.)
20.7% of GDP (2015
est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 67% (2017
est.)
government consumption: 11.8% (2017
est.)
investment in fixed capital: 22.3% (2017
est.)
investment in inventories: 0.8% (2017
est.)
exports of goods and services: 37.8% (2017
est.)
imports of goods and services: -39.7% (2017
est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 3.6% (2017 est.)
industry: 31.9% (2017 est.)
services: 64.5% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - products:
corn, wheat,
soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy
products; wood products
Industries:
food and
beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles,
clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
-0.6% (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Labor force:
54.51 million (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 13.4%
industry: 24.1%
services: 61.9% (2011)
Unemployment rate:
3.4% (2017
est.)
3.9% (2016
est.)
note: underemployment
may be as high as 25%
country comparison to the world: 42
Population below poverty line:
46.2% (2014
est.)
note: from
a food-based definition of poverty; asset-based poverty amounted to more than
47%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 40% (2014)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
48.2 (2014)
48.3 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 24
Budget:
revenues: 261.4 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 273.8 billion (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
22.7% (of GDP) (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-1.1% (of GDP) (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Public debt:
54.3% of GDP (2017
est.)
56.8% of GDP (2016
est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6% (2017
est.)
2.8% (2016
est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
Central bank discount rate:
7.25% (31
December 2017)
5.75% (31
December 2016)
country comparison to the world: 44
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.34% (31
December 2017 est.)
4.72% (31
December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
Stock of narrow money:
$215.5 billion (31
December 2017 est.)
$186.6 billion (31
December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
Stock of broad money:
$215.5 billion (31
December 2017 est.)
$186.6 billion (31
December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
Stock of domestic credit:
$431.6 billion (31
December 2017 est.)
$393.8 billion (31
December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$402.3 billion (31
December 2015 est.)
$480.2 billion (31
December 2014 est.)
$526 billion (31
December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
Current account balance:
-$19.35 billion (2017 est.)
-$23.32 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
Exports:
$409.8 billion (2017 est.)
$374.3 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
Exports - partners:
US 79.9% (2017)
Exports - commodities:
manufactured
goods, electronics, vehicles and auto parts, oil and oil products, silver,
plastics, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton; Mexico is the world's leading
producer of silver
Imports:
$420.8 billion (2017 est.)
$387.4 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Imports - commodities:
metalworking
machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment,
automobile parts for assembly and repair, aircraft, aircraft parts, plastics,
natural gas and oil products
Imports - partners:
US 46.4%, China
17.7%, Japan 4.3% (2017)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$175.3 billion (31
December 2017 est.)
$178.4 billion (31
December 2016 est.)
note: Mexico
also maintains access to an $88 million Flexible Credit Line with the IMF
country comparison to the world: 14
Debt - external:
$445.8 billion (31
December 2017 est.)
$450.2 billion (31
December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$554.3 billion (31
December 2017 est.)
$473.5 billion (31
December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$243.8 billion (31
December 2017 est.)
$148.6 billion (31
December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
Exchange rates:
Mexican pesos
(MXN) per US dollar -
18.26 (2017
est.)
18.664 (2016
est.)
18.664 (2015
est.)
15.848 (2014
est.)
13.292 (2013
est.)
·
Energy :: MEXICO
·
Electricity access:
population without electricity: 1,231,667 (2012)
electrification - total population: 99% (2012)
electrification - urban areas: 100% (2012)
electrification - rural areas: 97% (2012)
Electricity - production:
302.7 billion
kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
Electricity - consumption:
258.7 billion
kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Electricity - exports:
7.308 billion
kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
Electricity - imports:
3.532 billion
kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
72.56 million kW (2016
est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
71% of total
installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
2% of total
installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
17% of total
installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
9% of total
installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
Crude oil - production:
1.981 million
bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
Crude oil - exports:
1.214 million
bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
Crude oil - proved reserves:
6.63 billion bbl (1
January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Refined petroleum products - production:
844,600 bbl/day (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
1.984 million
bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Refined petroleum products - exports:
155,800 bbl/day (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Refined petroleum products - imports:
867,500 bbl/day (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
Natural gas - production:
31.57 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
Natural gas - consumption:
81.61 billion cu
m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
Natural gas - exports:
36.81 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
Natural gas - imports:
50.12 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
Natural gas - proved reserves:
279.8 billion cu
m (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
454.1 million Mt (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
·
Communications
:: MEXICO
·
Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions: 20,602,668 (2017
est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total subscriptions: 114,326,842 (2017 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 92 (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate telephone
service for business and government; improving quality and increasing mobile
cellular availability, with mobile subscribers far outnumbering fixed-line
subscribers; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations; extensive
microwave radio relay network; considerable use of fiber-optic cable and
coaxial cable; two main MNOs despite efforts for competition;
preparation for 5G and LTE-M services; Mexico’s first local Internet
Exchange Point opens in Mexico City (2017)
domestic: competition has spurred the mobile-cellular
market; fixed-line teledensity exceeds 17 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
teledensity is about 92 per 100 persons (2017)
international: country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic
submarine cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain,
and Italy; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1
submarine cable system together provide access to Central America, parts of
South America and the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 120 (32
Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America,
Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic
communications), 1 Panamsat, numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked
to Central American Microwave System of trunk connections (2016)
Broadcast media:
telecom reform
in 2013 enabled the creation of new broadcast television channels after decades
of a quasi-monopoly; Mexico has 821 TV stations and 1,745 radio stations and
most are privately owned; the Televisa group once had a virtual monopoly in TV
broadcasting, but new broadcasting groups and foreign satellite and cable
operators are now available; in 2016, Mexico became the first country in Latin
America to complete the transition from analog to digital transmissions,
allowing for better image and audio quality and a wider selection of
programming from networks (2016)
Internet country code:
.mx
Internet users:
total: 73,334,032 (July 2016 est.)
percent of population: 59.5% (July
2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Broadband - fixed subscriptions:
total: 17,131,820 (2017 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2017
est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
·
Transportation
:: MEXICO
·
National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers: 21 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 357 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 45,560,063 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 713,985,467 mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
XA (2016)
Airports:
1,714 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 3
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 243 (2017)
over 3,047 m: 12 (2017)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 32 (2017)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 80 (2017)
914 to 1,523 m: 86 (2017)
under 914 m: 33 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,471 (2013)
over 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 42 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 281 (2013)
under 914 m: 1,146 (2013)
Heliports:
1 (2013)
Pipelines:
14739 km natural
gas (2017), 10365 km oil (2017), 8946 km refined products (2016)
Railways:
total: 15,389 km (2014)
standard gauge: 15,389 km 1.435-m gauge (27 km
electrified) (2014)
country comparison to the world: 19
Roadways:
total: 377,660 km (2012)
paved: 137,544 km (includes 7,176 km of
expressways) (2012)
unpaved: 240,116 km (2012)
country comparison to the world: 17
Waterways:
2,900 km (navigable
rivers and coastal canals mostly connected with ports on the country's east
coast) (2012)
country comparison to the world: 33
Merchant marine:
total: 622 (2017)
by type: bulk carrier 5, general cargo 9, oil tanker
32, other 576 (2017)
country comparison to the world: 33
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 (2,580,660), Lazaro Cardenas
(1,115,452) (2016)
LNG terminal(s) (import): Altamira,
Ensenada
·
Military and
Security :: MEXICO
·
Military expenditures:
0.58% of GDP (2016)
0.67% of GDP (2015)
0.67% of GDP (2014)
0.62% of GDP (2013)
0.59% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 142
Military branches:
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)) (2013)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age
for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation is 12 months; 16
years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment; conscripts serve only in
the Army; Navy and Air Force service is all voluntary; women are eligible for
voluntary military service; cadets enrolled in military schools from the age of
15 are considered members of the armed forces (2012)
·
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): 55,000
(Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have
claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2018)
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) (2017)
stateless persons: 13 (2017)
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
