The number of people living in poverty in Mexico accounted for over 36 percent of the country's population in 2020. In that year, it was estimated that more than 46 million people in Mexico lived in a situation of poverty, a significant decrease of nearly nine millions when compared with 2020. During 2022, Chiapas was the state in Mexico with the highest poverty rate.

In 2022, approximately 4.7 percent of the Mexican population were living on less than 3.20 U.S. dollars per day, a considerable decrease in comparison to the previous year. Furthermore, unemployment rate in this Latin American country during this period was at 3.2 percent. Poverty is considerably higher in the South In 2022, the three states with the highest poverty rate in the Aztec country were Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca, all in the southern region. In contrast, the top eight federal entities with the lowest were all in the North. The clear division is further accentuated by the Northern Border Free Zone, which encompasses 43 municipalities in the Mexico-U.S. border with higher minimum wages and lower taxes. Poverty in states such as Chiapas reaches over 67 percent, which means two out of three residents are under the poverty line and almost one out of three under extreme poverty conditions.
A country troubled by inequality Poverty and inequality are no news in Mexico. In the most recent data, around 80 percent of the total wealth of the country was concentrated in the top 10 percent of the population. Moreover, the bottom 50 percent had a negative share, meaning that half of the Mexican population had more debts than assets. But inequality does not only encompass wealth distribution, but Mexico also has a problem regarding gender inequality. The government has failed to achieve many of its goals to reduce the gap between genders.

Two out of every three persons in Chiapas lived under the poverty line in 2022, making it the federal entity with the largest share of poor population in Mexico. On average, about 36 percent of the Mexican population was living in poverty that year.

Mexico Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 22.500 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 24.700 % for 2020. Mexico Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 29.450 % from Dec 1989 (Median) to 2022, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 34.600 % in 1998 and a record low of 22.500 % in 2022. Mexico Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2017 U.S. dollars and defined as max($2.15, $1.15 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $2.15. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Historical dataset showing Mexico poverty rate by year from 1984 to 2022.

Actual value and historical data chart for Mexico Poverty Headcount Ratio At National Poverty Line Percent Of Population

Women in Mexico were more likely to face poverty in 2022, as the share of the female population estimated to be in that situation stood at 36.9 percent, whereas among the male population it amounted to 35.6 percent. That year, the poverty rate in Mexico amounted to 36.3 percent.

Mexico MX: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 43.600 % in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 46.200 % for 2014. Mexico MX: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 45.500 % from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 46.200 % in 2014 and a record low of 43.600 % in 2016. Mexico MX: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty lines. National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

Yearly (annual) dataset of the Mexico Poverty Rate, including historical data, latest releases, and long-term trends from 1984-12-31 to 2022-12-31. Available for free download in CSV format.

Poverty rate at $3.2 a day of Mexico sank by 40.63% from 9.60 % in 2020 to 5.70 % in 2022. Since the 10.00% jump in 2008, poverty rate at $3.2 a day plummeted by 69.52% in 2022. Population below $3.1 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.1 a day at 2005 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

The poverty rate in Mexico accounted for almost 36 percent of the country's population in 2022, a decrease of 7.6 percentage points when compared with the rate from 2020. The state of Mexico was the state with the highest number of people living in poverty in 2022.

Mexico MX: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: % data was reported at 0.400 % in 2014. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.400 % for 2012. Mexico MX: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: % data is updated yearly, averaging 0.400 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2014, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.500 % in 2010 and a record low of 0.400 % in 2014. Mexico MX: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Poverty gap at national poverty lines is the mean shortfall from the poverty lines (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall) as a percentage of the poverty lines. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

Mexico MX: Income Share Held by Lowest 10% data was reported at 2.200 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.000 % for 2014. Mexico MX: Income Share Held by Lowest 10% data is updated yearly, averaging 1.700 % from Dec 1984 (Median) to 2016, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.200 % in 2016 and a record low of 1.400 % in 2000. Mexico MX: Income Share Held by Lowest 10% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for New Mexico (PPAANM35000A156NCEN) from 1989 to 2023 about NM, child, poverty, percent, and USA.

Almost half of the Mexican population (45.8 percent) younger than 18 years old lived in poverty in 2022. The poverty rate among adults (aged 18 or older) was more than ten percentage points lower, standing at 32.5 percent. The poverty rate for both age groups presented a significant decreased when compared to 2020.

Mexico MX: Income Share Held by Highest 10% data was reported at 34.800 % in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 37.200 % for 2014. Mexico MX: Income Share Held by Highest 10% data is updated yearly, averaging 37.800 % from Dec 1984 (Median) to 2016, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 41.000 % in 2000 and a record low of 34.800 % in 2016. Mexico MX: Income Share Held by Highest 10% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

The global Multidimensional Poverty Index provides the only comprehensive measure available for non-income poverty, which has become a critical underpinning of the SDGs. The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) measures multidimensional poverty in over 100 developing countries, using internationally comparable datasets and is updated annually. The measure captures the acute deprivations that each person faces at the same time using information from 10 indicators, which are grouped into three equally weighted dimensions: health, education, and living standards. Critically, the MPI comprises variables that are already reported under the Demographic Health Surveys (DHS), the Multi-Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and in some cases, national surveys.

The subnational multidimensional poverty data from the data tables are published by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), University of Oxford. For the details of the global MPI methodology, please see the latest Methodological Notes found here.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the world and influenced the lives of many. The poverty rate in Mexico accounted for approximately 44 percent of the country's population in 2020. In that year, it was estimated that more than eight percent of the population of Mexico lived in a situation of extreme poverty, while 35.4 percent of the population were considered to live in moderate poverty. All severities of poverty in Mexico decreased in 2022.

A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model in a bottom-up approach - based on microfoundations - and a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for the regional economy of Chiapas are built. Methodology: This research applies a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. It is a system of equations that describes an entire economy and all the interactions between productive sectors, commodity and factor markets, and institutions. All of the equations are solved simultaneously to find an economy-wide equilibrium in which demand and supply quantities are equal in every market at a certain level of prices (Burfisher, 2011). Two of the features of this model are that, on one hand, it implements a “bottom-up” approach, that is, it is focused on individual markets and economic agents. On the other hand, it is partially synthetic. In other words, most parameters can be calibrated with data from the SAM. Data framework: A Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) is a balanced square matrix that represents all income and expenditure flows between productive sectors, markets, and economic agents of an economy at a given period of time (Müller, Perez & Hubertus, 2009). It is based on the double entry bookkeeping in accounting, which requires that total revenue equals total expenditure in each single account included in the SAM (Breisinger, Thomas & Thurlow, 2010). The main features of the Chiapas SAM are that production activities are broken down in 10 sectors, according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). There is one commodity per economic activity. Factors of production are disaggregated into formal and informal labor, and capital. Direct taxes are broken up into activity tax, social security contributions, household and corporate income taxes, ‘tenencia’ tax (ownership tax, i.e. a tax associated with the possession or use of vehicles), and regional payroll tax (‘nomina’). Indirect taxes, in turn, are value-added, sales and export taxes, and import tariffs. Subsidies on production by economic activity are also included. Households are disaggregated by income quintiles. Social transfers are split in non-conditional (Procampo, universal pension, PAL-Sin Hambre , temporary employment program, and the regional program Amanecer ) and Oportunidades. The latter is also broken down into its five components: food, elderly, education, child, and energy. The introduction of conditional cash transfers in the SAM is particularly relevant because it allows assessing the impact of changes in their amount and distribution on household income, poverty reduction, income inequality, and economic growth at the regional level. Data sources: - National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI): 2012 National Employment and Occupation Survey 2013 Chiapas Statistical Yearbook 2012 National Household Income-Expenditure Survey 2012 Chiapas Statistical Perspective 2003-2012 Goods and Services Accounts (SCNM) 2003-2012 Institutional Sector Accounts (SCNM) 2008 Input-Output Table 2008 Supply and Use Tables - Chiapas State Committee of Statistical and Geographical Information (CEIEG): 2012 Chiapas Employment and Occupation Survey 2012 Chiapas Monthly Statistical Reports of IMSS-insured Workers - Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STYPS): 2012 IMSS-registered Daily Salary by Economic Activity 2012 IMSS-insured Workers Quality/Lineage: With the raw data a Social Accounting Matrix for the regional economy of Chiapas was built Features: - Oportunidades broken down by component - Other non-conditional social transfers such as Procampo, PAL-Sin Hambre, Employment program, Universal pension, and the regional program 'Amanecer' - Informal wages - Satellites tables of formal and informal employment - Productive activities according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) used in Mexico, Canada, and the United States of America - 10 economic activities - 10 Commodities (one per economic activity) - Factors of production: formal and informal labor and capital Purpose: 1. To assess the opportunity cost of financing "Oportunidades", Mexico's conditional cash transfers program, and its implications for rural development and rural economic growth in the regional setting of Chiapas. Moreover, 2. Pro-growth and pro-poor tax structures are also evaluated by applying standard economic analysis tools and modeling to substantially raise the federal non-oil tax revenue to finance social policy for poverty and inequality reduction. Dissertation: Viveros Añorve, J. L. (2015): The opportunity cost of financing "Oportunidades": a general equilibrium assessment for poverty reduction in Mexico. Ph.D. dissertation. Center for Development Research, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bonn

Mexico MX: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % of Rural Population data was reported at 62.400 % in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 62.800 % for 2012. Mexico MX: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % of Rural Population data is updated yearly, averaging 62.950 % from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2014, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 65.900 % in 2010 and a record low of 62.400 % in 2014. Mexico MX: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % of Rural Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Rural poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the rural population living below the national poverty lines.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.