Country explorer: Mexico

Mexico has maintained a low unemployment rate and controlled inflation relative to its upper-middle-income peers, while experiencing moderate GDP per capita growth, indicative of steady economic stability and progress in reducing extreme poverty, though challenges in income distribution persist.

Mexico has seen a gradual decline in fertility rates and net migration, alongside an increase in life expectancy, reflective of its broader demographic transition and health improvements, common trends among upper-middle-income countries.

Mexico has seen significant improvements in basic needs such as access to clean cooking fuels and electricity, moderately enhanced access to safely managed drinking water, but only minimal progress in access to safely managed sanitation facilities, reflecting a pattern of uneven advancement in infrastructure and public health services relative to its upper-middle-income peers.

Mexico has exhibited steady progress in human development, with notable improvements in the Human Development Index, a reduction in child mortality rates, increased literacy rates, and advancements in learning-adjusted years of schooling, reflecting broader positive societal transformations similar to those in upper-middle-income countries.

Mexico has demonstrated a steady decline in per capita CO₂ emissions, a noticeable shift towards increased electricity production from renewable sources such as wind and solar, while facing challenges in maintaining its renewable internal freshwater resources per capita and a slight decrease in forest area, reflecting broader environmental and energy trends common among upper-middle-income countries.

Over the last two decades, Mexico has demonstrated significant progress in technology and innovation, marked by a consistent increase in internet usage, mobile phone subscriptions, research and development spending relative to its GDP, and scientific publications per million people, reflecting a trajectory similar to that of its upper-middle-income peers but with distinct challenges in maximizing its innovation ecosystem to full capacity.

Mexico has seen a gradual increase in the share of its population born abroad, a notable rise in self-reported life satisfaction, a consistent decline in gender inequality, and a steady reduction in its age dependency ratio, showcasing its strides towards improving quality of life, gender equality, and economic sustainability, aligning it with progressive trends observed in upper-middle-income countries.

Mexico has experienced notable challenges in governance, characterized by declines in rule of law and political civil liberties, alongside persistent issues with corruption and press freedom, reflecting broader struggles in maintaining democratic institutions and societal trust.