Between 2010 and 2022, Mexico's data on the degree of inequality in income distribution based on the Gini coefficient remained equal compared to the previous period, at 45.4. The Gini coefficient measures the deviation of the distribution of income (or consumption) among individuals or households in a given country from a perfectly equal distribution. A value of 0 represents absolute equality, whereas 100 would be the highest possible degree of inequality. Poverty still one of the major problems During the last four years, the minimum wage in Mexico has been increasing substantially, going from 141.7 to 248.93 Mexican pesos per day. The main reason for this was to pull people out of poverty. In 2014, the population under the poverty line was over 46 percent, that is almost half of Mexicans living with conditions of vulnerability. Eight years later, the rate was about 36 percent, still a significant number of people living in poverty but a considerable decrease.
Gender inequality Mexico does not score particularly well in gender inequality, in fact, it ranks 33rd in the world in the Global Gender Gap Index. Despite some advances, the Aztec country performs poorly in most of the metrics that measure inequality. During late 2022, women recorded a pay disparity of –13.15 percent when compared to them male counterparts. That is to say, that for the same job a woman is paid 87.85 MXP when a man receives 100 MXP.

Chiapas, the state with the highest share of population living in poverty, had the highest wealth inequality in the country based on the Gini coefficient as well. This index measures the deviation of the income distribution situation in a given country from a perfectly equal distribution. A value of 0 represents an ideal situation of equality, whereas 1 would be the highest possible degree of inequality. As of 2022, Mexico City, the country's capital, had a Gini coefficient of 0.46, second highest recorded figure.

Based on the degree of inequality in income distribution measured by the Gini coefficient, Brazil was the most unequal country in Latin America as of 2022. Brazil's Gini coefficient amounted to 52.9. Dominican Republic recorded the lowest Gini coefficient at 38.5, even below Uruguay and Chile, which are some of the countries with the highest human development indexes in Latin America.

The Gini coefficient explained The Gini coefficient measures the deviation of the distribution of income among individuals or households in a given country from a perfectly equal distribution. A value of 0 represents absolute equality, whereas 100 would be the highest possible degree of inequality. This measurement reflects the degree of wealth inequality at a certain moment in time, though it may fail to capture how average levels of income improve or worsen over time.

What affects the Gini coefficient in Latin America? Latin America, as other developing regions in the world, generally records high rates of inequality, with a Gini coefficient ranging between 38 and 54 points according to the latest available data from the reporting period 2010-2021. According to the Human Development Report, wealth redistribution by means of tax transfers improves Latin America's Gini coefficient to a lesser degree than it does in advanced economies. Wider access to education and health services, on the other hand, have been proven to have a greater direct effect in improving Gini coefficient measurements in the region.

The gini coefficient for rural areas in Mexico declined to 0.42 points in 2022. The gini coefficient thereby reached its lowest value in recent years. For more insights about the gini coefficient for rural areas consider different countries like Bolivia or Brazil.

Out of the G20 countries, South Africa, Brazil, and Mexico have the highest levels of income inequality while France, the Republic of Korea, and Germany have the lowest levels of inequality. Other G20 countries in the middle have Gini coefficients between 32.5 and 42.0. The Gini coefficient measures the level of income inequality worldwide, where a higher score indicates a higher level of income inequality.

The gini coefficient for urban areas in Mexico decreased by 0.01 points (-2.27 percent) in 2022 in comparison to the previous observation. This marks the lowest gini coefficient during the observed period. For more insights about the gini coefficient for urban areas consider different countries like El Salvador or Costa Rica.

In 2022, about 40 percent of adults in Mexico held a net worth under 10,000 U.S. dollars. In contrast, merely 393,000 Mexicans (that is, 0.4 percent of the total) had a net worth of over one million U.S. dollars. Mexico is one of the most unequal countries in Latin America regarding wealth distribution, with 78.7 percent of the national wealth held by the richest ten percent of the population.

The minimum salaryThe minimum wage per day guaranteed by law in Mexico was decreed to increase by 22 percent between 2021 and 2022, reaching 172.87 Mexican pesos in 2022. In the Free Zone located near the northern border the minimum daily wage was raised to 260.34 Mexican pesos.This represented the fourth consecutive incrase since 2019, but could prove to be insufficient to maintain the wellbeing of Mexican workers after the soaring inflation rate registered in 2022 and the economic impact of the COVID-19 in Mexican households. The legal minimum salary has a long history in the North American country, it was first implemented with the approval of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States in 1917. Income inequality in Latin AmericaLatin America, as other developing regions in the world, generally records high rates of inequality, with a Gini coefficient ranging between 38 and 54 among the region’s countries. Moreover, many of the countries with the biggest inequality in income distribution worldwide are found in Latin America. According to the Human Development Report 2019, wealth redistribution by means of tax transfers improves Latin America's Gini coefficient to a lesser degree than it does in advanced economies. Wider access to education and health services, on the other hand, have been proven to have a greater direct effect in improving Gini coefficient measurements in the region.

The gini index in Canada was forecast to remain on a similar level in 2029 as compared to 2024 with 0.33 points. According to this forecast, the gini will stay nearly the same over the forecast period. The Gini coefficient here measures the degree of income inequality on a scale from 0 (=total equality of incomes) to one (=total inequality).The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the gini index in countries like United States and Mexico.

In 2024, two of the three richest people in Latin America were Mexicans. The leader of the rank was the Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim, the 14th richest person in the world. Slim had a fortune of 102 billion U.S. dollars, derived from his multiple businesses and investments. At third place was a fellow Mexican businessman, German Larrea, with a fortune of nearly 27.3 billion dollars.

Billionaires' wealth distribution Within each country's economy, there exists a relatively small segment of wealthier individuals who contribute significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of their respective countries. In Latin America, Chile stands out for its high concentration of wealth among billionaires, accounting for approximately 16 percent of the GDP. Mexico also exhibits a notable wealth concentration, with billionaires contributing around 12 percent of the country's GDP. Regarding the financial magnitude of these billionaires in Latin America, Mexico leads with an average individual wealth of approximately nine billion dollars, compared to an average wealth per adult of 43,140.
Income inequality In most countries within the region, the GINI Index, which measures income inequality among the population, falls within the range of 40 to 50. Notably, Colombia has the highest level of income inequality in Latin America, at 54.2. As a result of this income inequality, only around 2.8 percent of the population in the region is classified as having a high economic status, while the largest portion of the population consists of non-poor individuals with low incomes, and approximately 281 million people in the region live below the poverty line.