2017 Edition

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. 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.

Area

1,964,375 sq km 1,943,945 sq km 20,430 sq km

land

1,943,945 sq km

total

1,964,375 sq km

water

20,430 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Climate

varies from tropical to desert

Coastline

9,330 km

Elevation

1,111 m lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,636 m

elevation extremes

lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m

highest point

Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,636 m

mean elevation

1,111 m

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 the government considers the lack of clean water and deforestation national security issues

note

the government considers the lack of clean water and deforestation national security issues

Environment - international agreements

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 none of the selected 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

Geographic coordinates

23 00 N, 102 00 W

Geography - note

strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico

Irrigated land

65,000 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

4,389 km Belize 276 km, Guatemala 958 km, US 3,155 km

border countries (3)

Belize 276 km, Guatemala 958 km, US 3,155 km

total

4,389 km

Land use

54.9% arable land 11.8%; permanent crops 1.4%; permanent pasture 41.7% 33.3% 11.8% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

54.9%

forest

33.3%

other

11.8% (2011 est.)

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

Map references

North America

Maritime claims

12 nm 24 nm 200 nm 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

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 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

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

Natural resources

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

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

Terrain

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

Age structure

26.93% (male 17,155,689/female 16,390,913) 17.54% (male 11,065,927/female 10,778,382) 40.81% (male 24,550,848/female 26,282,836) 7.64% (male 4,362,868/female 5,160,514) 7.09% (male 3,949,823/female 4,876,995) (2017 est.)

0-14 years

26.93% (male 17,155,689/female 16,390,913)

15-24 years

17.54% (male 11,065,927/female 10,778,382)

25-54 years

40.81% (male 24,550,848/female 26,282,836)

55-64 years

7.64% (male 4,362,868/female 5,160,514)

65 years and over

7.09% (male 3,949,823/female 4,876,995) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

18.3 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.9% (2015)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

66.9% (2015)

Death rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Dependency ratios

51.4 41.6 9.8 10.2 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

9.8

potential support ratio

10.2 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

51.4

youth dependency ratio

41.6

Drinking water source

urban: 97.2% of population rural: 92.1% of population total: 96.1% of population urban: 2.8% of population rural: 7.9% of population total: 3.9% of population (2015 est.)

rural

7.9% of population

total

3.9% of population (2015 est.)

urban

2.8% of population

Education expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2012)

Ethnic groups

mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 62%, predominantly Amerindian 21%, Amerindian 7%, other 10% (mostly European) Mexico does not collect census data on ethnicity (2012 est.)

note

Mexico does not collect census data on ethnicity (2012 est.)

Health expenditures

6.3% of GDP (2014)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,200 (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

220,000 (2016 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

11.6 deaths/1,000 live births 13 deaths/1,000 live births 10.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

female

10.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

male

13 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Spanish only 92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified 0.8% indigenous languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages (2005)

note

indigenous languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages (2005)

Life expectancy at birth

76.1 years 73.3 years 79 years (2017 est.)

female

79 years (2017 est.)

male

73.3 years

total population

76.1 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write 94.5% 95.5% 93.5% (2015 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

93.5% (2015 est.)

male

95.5%

total population

94.5%

Major infectious diseases

intermediate bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A dengue fever 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 (2016)

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

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 (2016)

vectorborne disease

dengue fever

Major urban areas - population

MEXICO CITY (capital) 20.999 million; Guadalajara 4.843 million; Monterrey 4.513 million; Puebla 2.984 million; Toluca de Lerdo 2.164 million; Tijuana 1.987 million (2015)

Maternal mortality ratio

38 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

28.3 years 27.2 years 29.4 years (2017 est.)

female

29.4 years (2017 est.)

male

27.2 years

total

28.3 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.3 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

Mexican(s) Mexican

adjective

Mexican

noun

Mexican(s)

Net migration rate

-1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

28.9% (2016)

Physicians density

2.07 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

124,574,795 (July 2017 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

Population growth rate

1.12% (2017 est.)

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.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 88% of population rural: 74.5% of population total: 85.2% of population urban: 12% of population rural: 25.5% of population total: 14.8% of population (2015 est.)

rural

25.5% of population

total

14.8% of population (2015 est.)

urban

12% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

13 years 13 years 13 years (2014)

female

13 years (2014)

male

13 years

total

13 years

Sex ratio

1.05 male(s)/female 1.05 male(s)/female 1.03 male(s)/female 0.93 male(s)/female 0.85 male(s)/female 0.82 male(s)/female 0.96 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.85 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.82 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.24 children born/woman (2017 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

7.7% 7.2% 8.8% (2016 est.)

female

8.8% (2016 est.)

male

7.2%

total

7.7%

Urbanization

79.8% of total population (2017) 1.37% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.37% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

79.8% of total population (2017)

Administrative divisions

31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 city* (ciudad); 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

Capital

Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico) 19 26 N, 99 08 W UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October Mexico has four time zones

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

19 26 N, 99 08 W

name

Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico)

note

Mexico has four time zones

time difference

UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

yes yes not specified 5 years

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent

yes

dual citizenship recognized

not specified

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

several previous; latest approved 5 February 1917; amended many times, last in 2015 (2016)

Country name

United Mexican States Mexico Estados Unidos Mexicanos Mexico named after the Mexica, the largest and most powerful branch of the Aztecs; the meaning of the name is uncertain

conventional long form

United Mexican States

conventional short form

Mexico

etymology

named after the Mexica, the largest and most powerful branch of the Aztecs; the meaning of the name is uncertain

local long form

Estados Unidos Mexicanos

local short form

Mexico

Diplomatic representation from the US

Ambassador Roberta JACOBSON (since 20 June 2016) Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX 78520-9000 (01-55) 5080-2000 (01-55) 5080-2005 Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana

chief of mission

Ambassador Roberta JACOBSON (since 20 June 2016)

consulate(s) general

Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana

embassy

Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal

FAX

(01-55) 5080-2005

mailing address

P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX 78520-9000

telephone

(01-55) 5080-2000

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Geronimo GUTIERREZ Fernandez (since 24 April 2017) 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006 [1] (202) 728-1600 [1] (202) 728-1698 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) 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

chancery

1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006

chief of mission

Ambassador Geronimo GUTIERREZ Fernandez (since 24 April 2017)

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

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)

FAX

[1] (202) 728-1698

telephone

[1] (202) 728-1600

Executive branch

President Enrique PENA NIETO (since 1 December 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government President Enrique PENA NIETO (since 1 December 2012) 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 president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 6-year term; election last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held in July 2018) Enrique PENA NIETO elected president; percent of vote - Enrique PENA NIETO (PRI) 38.2%, Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR (PRD) 31.6%, Josefina Eugenia VAZQUEZ Mota (PAN) 25.4%, other 4.8%

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

chief of state

President Enrique PENA NIETO (since 1 December 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Enrique PENA NIETO elected president; percent of vote - Enrique PENA NIETO (PRI) 38.2%, Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR (PRD) 31.6%, Josefina Eugenia VAZQUEZ Mota (PAN) 25.4%, other 4.8%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 6-year term; election last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held in July 2018)

head of government

President Enrique PENA NIETO (since 1 December 2012)

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 similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter, uses lighter shades of red and green, and does not display anything in its white band

note

similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter, uses lighter shades of red and green, and does not display anything in its white band

Government type

federal presidential republic

Independence

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

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

Judicial branch

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) 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 for life; 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 federal level includes circuit, collegiate, and unitary courts; state and district level courts

highest court(s)

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 for life; 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

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the 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) and the 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) for the 2018 elections, senators will be eligible for a second term and deputies up to 4 consecutive terms Senate - last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held on 1 July 2018); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 7 June 2015 (next to be held on 1 July 2018) Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRI 52, PAN 38, PRD 22, PVEM 9, PT 4, MC 2, PANAL 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRI 203, PAN 108, PRD 56, PVEM 47, MORENA 35, MC 26, PANAL 10, PES 8, PT 6, independent 1

description

bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the 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) and the 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)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRI 52, PAN 38, PRD 22, PVEM 9, PT 4, MC 2, PANAL 1;

elections

Senate - last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held on 1 July 2018); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 7 June 2015 (next to be held on 1 July 2018)

note

for the 2018 elections, senators will be eligible for a second term and deputies up to 4 consecutive terms

National anthem

"Himno Nacional Mexicano" (National Anthem of Mexico) Francisco Gonzalez BOCANEGRA/Jaime Nuno ROCA 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

lyrics/music

Francisco Gonzalez BOCANEGRA/Jaime Nuno ROCA

name

"Himno Nacional Mexicano" (National Anthem of Mexico)

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

National symbol(s)

golden eagle; national colors: green, white, red

golden eagle; national colors

green, white, red

Political parties and leaders

Citizen's Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano) or MC [Dante DELGADO Rannaoro] Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) or PRI [Enrique OCHOA Reza] 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 (vacant) New Alliance Party (Partido Nueva Alianza) or PNA/PANAL [Luis CASTRO Obregon] Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) or PRD [Alejandra BARRALES Magdaleno] Social Encounter Party (Partido Encuentro Social) or PES [Hugo Eric FLORES Cervantes]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Businessmen's Coordinating Council or CCE Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic or COPARMEX Confederation of Industrial Chambers or CONCAMIN Confederation of Mexican Workers or CTM Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce or CONCANACO Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business Organizations or COECE Federation of Unions Providing Goods and Services or FESEBES National Chamber of Transformation Industries or CANACINTRA National Confederation of Popular Organizations or CNOP National Coordinator for Education Workers or CNTE National Peasant Confederation or CNC National Small Business Chamber or CANACOPE National Syndicate of Education Workers or SNTE National Union of Workers or UNT Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca or APPO Roman Catholic Church

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture - products

corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products

Budget

$259.6 billion $286.5 billion (2016 est.)

expenditures

$286.5 billion (2016 est.)

revenues

$259.6 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Central bank discount rate

6.25% (28 February 2017) 5.25% (28 February 2016)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

4.72% (31 December 2016 est.) 3.42% (31 December 2015 est.)

Current account balance

$-22.97 billion (2016 est.) $-28.2 billion (2015 est.)

Debt - external

$450.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $426.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

48.2 (2014) 48.3 (2008)

Economy - overview

Mexico's $2.2 trillion economy 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 2016, two-way trade in goods and services exceeded $579 billion. Mexico has free trade agreements with 46 countries, putting more than 90% of 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. Mexico began holding public auctions of exploration and development rights to select oil and gas resources in 2015 as a part of reforms that allow for private investment in the oil, gas, and electricity sectors. Mexico held its fourth auction in December 2016 and allocated 8 of 10 deepwater fields, demonstrating Mexico’s capacity to attract investment amid low oil prices. The government will allocate additional fields in 2017. 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. Over the medium-term, the economy is vulnerable to global economic pressures, such as lower external demand, rising interest rates, and low oil prices - approximately 10% of government revenue comes from the state-owned oil company, PEMEX.

Exchange rates

Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar - 18.664 (2016 est.) 18.664 (2015 est.) 15.848 (2014 est.) 13.292 (2013 est.) 13.17 (2012 est.)

Exports

$374.3 billion (2016 est.) $381 billion (2015 est.)

Exports - commodities

manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton

Exports - partners

US 81% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

68.3% 12.2% 22.8% -1.5% 38.1% -39.9% (2016 est.)

exports of goods and services

38.1%

government consumption

12.2%

household consumption

68.3%

imports of goods and services

-39.9% (2016 est.)

investment in fixed capital

22.8%

investment in inventories

-1.5%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

3.8% 32.2% 63.4% (2016 est.)

agriculture

3.8%

industry

32.2%

services

63.4% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$18,900 (2016 est.) $18,700 (2015 est.) $18,400 (2014 est.) data are in 2016 dollars

note

data are in 2016 dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2.3% (2016 est.) 2.7% (2015 est.) 2.3% (2014 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.047 trillion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.315 trillion (2016 est.) $2.235 trillion (2015 est.) $2.154 trillion (2014 est.) data are in 2016 dollars

note

data are in 2016 dollars

Gross national saving

21.1% of GDP (2016 est.) 20.4% of GDP (2015 est.) 19.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

2% 40% (2014)

highest 10%

40% (2014)

lowest 10%

2%

Imports

$387.4 billion (2016 est.) $395.6 billion (2015 est.)

Imports - commodities

metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, automobile parts for assembly and repair, aircraft, aircraft parts

Imports - partners

US 46.6%, China 18%, Japan 4.6% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

0% (2016 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.8% (2016 est.) 2.7% (2015 est.)

Labor force

53.68 million (2016 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

13.4% 24.1% 61.9% (2011)

agriculture

13.4%

industry

24.1%

services

61.9% (2011)

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.)

Population below poverty line

46.2% from a food-based definition of poverty; asset-based poverty amounted to more than 47% (2014 est.)

note

from a food-based definition of poverty; asset-based poverty amounted to more than 47% (2014 est.)

Public debt

50.2% of GDP (2016 est.) 47.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$178.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $178 billion (31 December 2015 est.) Mexico also maintains access to an $88 million Flexible Credit Line with the IMF

note

Mexico also maintains access to an $88 million Flexible Credit Line with the IMF

Stock of broad money

$603 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $656.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$148.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $146.4 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$473.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $509.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$393.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $398.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$186.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $194.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

24.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.9% (2016 est.) 4.4% (2015 est.) underemployment may be as high as 25%

note

underemployment may be as high as 25%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

455 million Mt (2013 est.)

Crude oil - exports

1.224 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Crude oil - production

2.187 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

7.64 billion bbl (1 January 2017 es)

Electricity - consumption

245.2 billion kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity - exports

7.308 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

72.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

18.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

2.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

8.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity - imports

392 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

65.45 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

292.7 billion kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity access

1,231,667 99% 100% 97% (2012)

electrification - rural areas

97% (2012)

electrification - total population

99%

electrification - urban areas

100%

population without electricity

1,231,667

Natural gas - consumption

77.93 billion cu m (2015 est.)

Natural gas - exports

31 million cu m (2015 est.)

Natural gas - imports

36.47 billion cu m (2015 est.)

Natural gas - production

40.37 billion cu m (2015 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

355.7 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

2.027 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

181,600 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

751,500 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

1.043 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

Broadcast media

many TV stations and more than 1,400 radio stations with most 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 (2012)

Internet country code

.mx

Internet users

73,334,032 59.5% (July 2016 est.)

percent of population

59.5% (July 2016 est.)

total

73,334,032

Telephone system

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 competition has spurred the mobile-cellular market; fixed-line teledensity exceeds 15 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is about 90 per 100 persons 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)

domestic

competition has spurred the mobile-cellular market; fixed-line teledensity exceeds 15 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is about 90 per 100 persons

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

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

19,599,886 16 (July 2016 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

16 (July 2016 est.)

total subscriptions

19,599,886

Telephones - mobile cellular

111,724,654 91 (July 2016 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

91 (July 2016 est.)

total

111,724,654

Airports

1,714 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

33 (2017)

1,524 to 2,437 m

80

2,438 to 3,047 m

32

914 to 1,523 m

86

over 3,047 m

12

total

243

under 914 m

33 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,471 1,146 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

42

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

281

over 3,047 m

1

total

1,471

under 914 m

1,146 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

XA (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

bulk carrier 5, general cargo 9, oil tanker 32, other 576 (2017)

by type

bulk carrier 5, general cargo 9, oil tanker 32, other 576 (2017)

total

622

National air transport system

45,560,063 713,985,467 mt-km (2015)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

713,985,467 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

45,560,063

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

357

number of registered air carriers

21

Pipelines

gas 18,074 km; liquid petroleum 2,102 km; oil 8,775 km; oil/gas/water 369 km; refined products 7,565 km; water 123 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Veracruz Manzanillo (1,992,176), Lazaro Cardenas (1,242,777) (2012) Cayo Arcas terminal, Dos Bocas terminal Altamira, Ensenada Cancun, Cozumel, Ensenada

container port(s) (TEUs)

Manzanillo (1,992,176), Lazaro Cardenas (1,242,777) (2012)

cruise port(s)

Cancun, Cozumel, Ensenada

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Altamira, Ensenada

major seaport(s)

Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Veracruz

oil terminal(s)

Cayo Arcas terminal, Dos Bocas terminal

Railways

15,389 km 15,389 km 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified) (2014)

standard gauge

15,389 km 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified) (2014)

total

15,389 km

Roadways

377,660 km 137,544 km (includes 7,176 km of expressways) 240,116 km (2012)

paved

137,544 km (includes 7,176 km of expressways)

total

377,660 km

unpaved

240,116 km (2012)

Waterways

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

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)

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 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)

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)

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

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

311,000 (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) (2016) 13 (2016)

IDPs

311,000 (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) (2016)

stateless persons

13 (2016)