Mexico Population

Mexico is a North American country consisting of 31 states, plus the Federal District. With a rich history and culture, Mexico is the third largest country in Latin America and is home to over 128 million people. Officially called the Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States), the country faces many of the typical challenges of a developing nation but still maintains its position as the chief economic and political force in Latin America.

The country is bordered by Guatemala on one end and the United States on the other and has long stretches of shoreline on both the Atlantic and North Pacific Ocean. A warm country, the climate is tropical with a rainy and a dry season. Its mountainous regions experience cooler temperatures and dryer climates, though most areas of Mexico receive about 40 inches of rain per year.

A divided society

Despite having the 15th largest GDP in the world, Mexico’s society is deeply divided when it comes to wealth. It is characterized by extremes of wealth and poverty with a sliver of a middle class. While 42% of Mexico’s population lives below the poverty line, with 9% living in extreme poverty, elite landowners and investors control most of the country’s wealth. For example, Carlos Slim—Mexico’s wealthiest man and the sixth richest person on earth—is worth almost 5% of the entire country’s GDP. The unevenly divided wealth is a complex issue influenced by economic and political agendas that favour the wealthy and leave millions behind.

A dangerous drug war

Mexican drug cartels have continued to expand their power since the fall of the Colombian drug cartels in the 1990s. They are now responsible for up to 90% of the cocaine entering the United States. The Mexican War on Drugs has created violent ongoing clashes between the Mexican Government, the drug cartels, and the United States government, which has resulted in many deaths for the Mexican people. While it’s difficult to accurately gauge, it’s estimated that around 127,000 Mexican people have died as a direct result of the drug war, with 27,000 more listed as missing.

A steady birth rate

While Mexico’s birth rate has decline significantly since the 1960s, it is still generous enough to replenish the population at its current level of 2.08. However, as the population ages and the country continues to urbanize, the birth rate is predicted to drop and the death rate to rise. Currently, the death rate is 6.15, but is predicted to rise to 8.63 by 2050, with the birth rate dropping from the current 17.01 to 11.31.

Rising life expectancy

As Mexico continues to develop, its life expectancy is rising as well. In the 1960s, the average person in Mexico only lived until around 57 years old. Since then, the life expectancy in the country has risen by almost 20 years to 75 years old. As is typical, women live a bit longer with an average of 77 years, while men live until about 72. There is also a large discrepancy between the life expectancy in different parts of the country, with Mexico City boasting the highest life expectancy and Guerrero having the lowest. While the life expectancy is still below that of most developed countries, Mexico’s life expectancy rate continues to rise and is predicted to hit 80 by 2050.

An expanding elderly population

The median age is Mexico is currently at around 21, but that’s set to rise. Adults over 60 years of age will almost triple to 23% by 2050. While most of Mexico’s aging population is independent and highly functional, an aging population will force the country to examine its health industry and the looming social and economic burden that an aging population places on on a country.