Beneath the surface of its world-famous beaches and vibrant culture, Mexico is a nation of profound contrasts and dynamic change, as revealed by a population that is both remarkably young and increasingly urban, an economy that is a global manufacturing powerhouse yet faces significant social challenges, and a rich tapestry of heritage where ancient languages and traditions persist amid rapid modernization.
Key Takeaways
- Mexico's population as of July 2023 is estimated at 129,875,529 people
- The median age in Mexico is 29.6 years (male: 28.6 years, female: 30.7 years) as of 2023
- Mexico's total fertility rate is 1.85 children born per woman (2023 est.)
- Mexico's unemployment rate is 3.3% (2022)
- GDP (PPP) of Mexico is $2.917 trillion (2022 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate) is $1.465 trillion (2022 est.)
- Mexico's total land area is 1,964,375 sq km
- Water area is 20,210 sq km (1% of total)
- Mexico's coastline is 9,330 km
- Mexico's government type is federal presidential republic
- Capital is Mexico City (Ciudad de México)
- Administrative divisions: 31 states and 1 capital city
- Roman Catholicism is practiced by 77.7% of Mexicans (2020 census)
- Evangelical Protestants 11.2%, non-religious 10.6% (2020)
- Spanish is official language, spoken by 92.7%, Nahuatl by 1.7%
Mexico is a large, youthful, and urbanized nation with a rich culture and economy.
Culture
- Roman Catholicism is practiced by 77.7% of Mexicans (2020 census)
- Evangelical Protestants 11.2%, non-religious 10.6% (2020)
- Spanish is official language, spoken by 92.7%, Nahuatl by 1.7%
- Mexico has 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (cultural)
- Literacy rate 95% (2020)
- Mexico produces 90% of world's avocados
- Tequila is protected origin from Jalisco, Mexico exports 400 million liters/year
- Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Mexico has over 150 indigenous groups
- Mariachi music UNESCO Intangible Heritage
- Charrería national sport since 1936
- Mexico has 1,500+ museums
- Frida Kahlo born 1907, iconic cultural figure
- Octavio Paz Nobel Prize in Literature 1990
- Mexico City metro carries 4.5 million passengers daily
- Lucha libre wrestling popular since 1933
- Mexican cuisine UNESCO Intangible Heritage 2010
- Piñatas originated in Mexico, now global
- Alebrijes folk art from 1936 Oaxaca
- Posada prints popularized calaveras (sugar skulls)
- Mexico has 144 million mobile phone subscriptions (2022)
- 92% internet penetration (2023)
- 36 million international tourists visited Mexico in 2023
- Cancun receives 6 million tourists annually
- Chichen Itza one of New 7 Wonders, 2.5 million visitors/year
- Teotihuacan pyramid complex 3 million visitors/year
- 68% of Mexicans speak Spanish as first language (2020 census)
- Mayan language speakers 800,000+
- Mexico's homicide rate 28 per 100,000 (2022)
- 42 million Facebook users in Mexico (2023)
Culture Interpretation
Mexico is a land where ancient pyramids host millions, avocados fuel the world, and mariachi music fills the air, all while navigating the complex tapestry of its profound indigenous heritage and modern challenges with a literacy rate and internet penetration that prove its vibrant pulse is very much alive.
Demographics
- Mexico's population as of July 2023 is estimated at 129,875,529 people
- The median age in Mexico is 29.6 years (male: 28.6 years, female: 30.7 years) as of 2023
- Mexico's total fertility rate is 1.85 children born per woman (2023 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth in Mexico is 72.8 years for males and 78.4 years for females (2023 est.)
- Mexico has an infant mortality rate of 11.8 deaths per 1,000 live births (2023 est.)
- 77.1% of Mexico's population lives in urban areas (2023)
- Mexico's population growth rate is 0.78% (2023 est.)
- Net migration rate to Mexico is -0.3 migrant(s) per 1,000 population (2023 est.)
- Mexico's sex ratio at birth is 1.05 male(s)/female
- 96.9% of Mexicans aged 15 and over can read and write (male: 97.2%, female: 96.6%) (2020)
- Mexico's largest ethnic group is mestizo (about 62%), followed by predominantly indigenous (21%)
- There are 68 indigenous languages spoken by more than 370,000 people in Mexico
- Mexico City has a population of 9,209,944 (2020 census)
- Guadalajara metropolitan area population is 5,268,642 (2020)
- Monterrey metropolitan area has 4,753,953 residents (2020)
- Mexico's birth rate is 14.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
- Death rate is 5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
- Mexico ranks 10th most populous country in the world (2023)
- 25.6% of Mexico's population is under 15 years old (2023)
- 65.5% is between 15-64 years, and 8.9% is 65+ (2023)
- Mexico's population density is 67 people per km² (2023)
- 99.1% of Mexico's population has access to improved drinking water (2020)
- 92.8% has access to improved sanitation facilities (2020)
Demographics Interpretation
Mexico, a nation of vibrant, youthful cities and deep indigenous roots, is steadily urbanizing and aging, with its once-explosive population growth now tempered by a fertility rate just below replacement level.
Economy
- Mexico's unemployment rate is 3.3% (2022)
- GDP (PPP) of Mexico is $2.917 trillion (2022 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate) is $1.465 trillion (2022 est.)
- GDP per capita (PPP) is $22,400 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate is 3.9% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (CPI) is 7.9% (2022 est.)
- Mexico's public debt is 54.7% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Budget revenues are $332.1 billion, expenditures $357.1 billion (2022 est.)
- Mexico's current account balance is -$10.39 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports are $578.2 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports are $604.2 billion (2022 est.)
- Mexico is the 12th largest exporter globally
- Main exports include cars, vehicle parts ($100 billion, 2022)
- Crude petroleum exports $57.3 billion (2022)
- Mexico's labor force is 60.5 million (2021 est.)
- Agriculture employs 12.4%, industry 24.1%, services 63.5% (2019)
- GDP by sector: agriculture 3.4%, industry 30.8%, services 65.7% (2022 est.)
Economy Interpretation
Mexico is an economic powerhouse humming along with enviable growth and employment, yet it walks a tightrope where robust exports and a bustling labor force are slightly undercut by a stubborn deficit and the ever-present specter of inflation.
Geography
- Mexico's total land area is 1,964,375 sq km
- Water area is 20,210 sq km (1% of total)
- Mexico's coastline is 9,330 km
- Maritime claims: territorial sea 12 nm, contiguous zone 24 nm, EEZ 200 nm
- Climate is mostly tropical or desert, temperate aloft and arctic on high peaks
- Terrain includes high central plateau (llanos), mountains, deserts, tropical basin, swamps
- Elevation extremes: lowest point Laguna Salada -10 m, highest Pico de Orizaba 5,636 m
- Natural resources: petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
- Land use: arable land 11.8%, permanent crops 1.4%, permanent pasture 42.4%, forest 33.7%, others 10.7% (2018)
- Irrigated land: 67,350 sq km (2012)
- Major rivers: Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte) 3,057 km, Grijalva 685 km, Usumacinta 655 km
- Mexico has 53,597 km of railways (2021)
- Roadways total 949,121 km, paved 471,268 km (2017)
- Waterways 2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals, mostly used by small craft)
- Mexico's total renewable water resources are 457.2 billion cubic meters (2017)
- Natural hazards include tsunamis, volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, droughts
- Mexico City is the highest capital city at 2,240 m above sea level
- Mexico has 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites for natural landscapes
- Forest area covers 34.6% of land (2020)
- Mexico ranks 1st globally in reptile species with 957 species
- 11.9% of Mexico's land is protected areas (2022)
Geography Interpretation
Mexico is a geographically dramatic, resource-rich nation where the challenge isn't finding something remarkable—from silver-lined mountains to a reptile kingdom—but rather managing the delicate balance between exploiting its treasures and surviving its occasional terrestrial tantrums.
Government
- Mexico's government type is federal presidential republic
- Capital is Mexico City (Ciudad de México)
- Administrative divisions: 31 states and 1 capital city
- Independence from Spain on 16 September 1810 (declared), 27 September 1821 (recognized)
- Constitution adopted 5 February 1917
- National holiday is Independence Day, 16 September (1810)
- Suffrage is universal and compulsory 18-70 years, optional 70+ and 18-17
- President serves 6-year term, non-renewable
- Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Senate 128 seats, Chamber of Deputies 500 seats)
- Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (21 ministers)
- Mexico has diplomatic relations with 195 countries
- Current president Claudia Sheinbaum elected in 2024
- Corruption Perceptions Index rank 126/180 (2023), score 31/100
- Human Development Index rank 77/193 (2022), score 0.781
- Mexico's military budget is 0.6% of GDP (2022)
- Active military personnel: 216,425 (2022)
- Mexico is a member of UN, WTO, OECD, G20, USMCA
- Press Freedom Index rank 128/180 (2023)
- Mexico has 32 federal entities, each with its own constitution and congress
- Voter turnout in 2024 presidential election was 60.7%
Government Interpretation
Mexico presents itself as a mature federal republic with all the institutional trappings—31 spirited states, a non-renewable presidency, and a constitution older than most—yet its middling global rankings in corruption and press freedom, paired with voter turnout that barely clears sixty percent, suggest a nation still fervently debating the depth of its own democracy over two centuries after declaring independence.
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