Mexico

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

total: 69.915 million | percent of population: 57.4% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Telephone system

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 | domestic: competition has spurred the mobile-cellular market; fixed-line teledensity is less than 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is about 90 per 100 persons | 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 (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 19,886,949 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 14

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 106.831 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 88 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 14

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $269.2 billion | expenditures: $308.7 billion (2015 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129

Central bank discount rate

4.5% (31 December 2012) | 4.5% (31 December 2011) | country comparison to the world: 84

Commercial bank prime lending rate

3.42% (31 December 2015 est.) | 3.55% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161

Current account balance

-$32.38 billion (2015 est.) | -$24.85 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191

Debt - external

$441.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $432.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29

Distribution of family income - Gini index

48.3 (2008) | 53.1 (1998) | country comparison to the world: 25

Economy - overview

Mexico's $2.2 trillion economy has become increasingly oriented toward manufacturing in the 22 years since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into force. 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 2014, two-way trade in goods and services exceeded $590 billion. Mexico has free trade agreements with 46 countries, putting more than 90% of trade under free trade agreements. In 2012, Mexico formally joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and formed the Pacific Alliance with Peru, Colombia, and Chile. | Mexico's current government, led by President Enrique PENA NIETO, emphasized economic reforms during its first two years in office, passing and implementing sweeping education, 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. The second and third auctions demonstrated the capacity for the Mexican Government to adapt and improve the terms of the contracts to garner sufficient interest from investors amid low oil prices. | Although the economy experienced stronger growth in 2014-15 as a result of increased investment and stronger demand for Mexican exports, 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 20% of government revenue comes from the state-owned oil company, PEMEX. The increasing integration of supply chains, development of energy sectors, and government-to-government focus on trade facilitation will continue to make the North American region increasingly competitive and contribute to Mexican economic development and strength.

Exchange rates

Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar - | 15.848 (2015 est.) | 13.292 (2014 est.) | 13.292 (2013 est.) | 13.17 (2012 est.) | 12.423 (2011 est.)

Exports

$381 billion (2015 est.) | $397.7 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 81.1% (2015)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.144 trillion (2015 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.227 trillion (2015 est.) | $2.172 trillion (2014 est.) | $2.124 trillion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 12

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 69.3% | government consumption: 12.3% | investment in fixed capital: 22.2% | investment in inventories: -1.7% | exports of goods and services: 35.3% | imports of goods and services: -37.4% (2015 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 3.6% | industry: 32.8% | services: 63.6% (2015 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$17,500 (2015 est.) | $17,300 (2014 est.) | $17,200 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 91

GDP - real growth rate

2.5% (2015 est.) | 2.3% (2014 est.) | 1.3% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Gross national saving

19.9% of GDP (2015 est.) | 19.6% of GDP (2014 est.) | 19.3% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2% | highest 10%: 37.5% (2010)

Imports

$395.6 billion (2015 est.) | $400.4 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 47.3%, China 17.7%, Japan 4.4% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate

0.9% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 148

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.7% (2015 est.) | 4% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 136

Labor force

52.91 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 13.4% | industry: 24.1% | services: 61.9% (2011)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$525.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $408.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $454.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24

Population below poverty line

52.3% | note: based on food-based definition of poverty; asset-based poverty amounted to more than 47% (2012 est.)

Public debt

46.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | 41.9% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$178 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $195.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Stock of broad money

$826.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $727 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$142.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $143.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$356.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $389.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19

Stock of domestic credit

$398.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $413 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27

Stock of narrow money

$194.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $195.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

Taxes and other revenues

23.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135

Unemployment rate

4.4% (2015 est.) | 4.8% (2014 est.) | note: underemployment may be as high as 25% | country comparison to the world: 42

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

455 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Crude oil - exports

1.199 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Crude oil - imports

11,110 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Crude oil - production

2.302 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Crude oil - proved reserves

9.7 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 17

Electricity - consumption

238 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Electricity - exports

7.1 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 51

Electricity - from fossil fuels

74.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

18.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

2.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Electricity - from other renewable sources

4.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60

Electricity - imports

400 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 73

Electricity - installed generating capacity

66 million kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Electricity - production

286 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15

Electricity access

population without electricity: 1,231,667 | electrification - total population: 99% | electrification - urban areas: 100% | electrification - rural areas: 97% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

72.77 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Natural gas - exports

52 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 43

Natural gas - imports

28.84 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Natural gas - production

44.37 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19

Natural gas - proved reserves

432.9 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 31

Refined petroleum products - consumption

2.007 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Refined petroleum products - exports

190,900 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Refined petroleum products - imports

713,500 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Refined petroleum products - production

1.258 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 14

Area

total: 1,964,375 sq km | land: 1,943,945 sq km | water: 20,430 sq km | country comparison to the world: 14

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Climate

varies from tropical to desert

Coastline

9,330 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 1,111 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m | highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,675 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 | note: the government considers the lack of clean water and deforestation national security issues

Environment - international 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

total: 4,389 km | border countries (3): Belize 276 km, Guatemala 958 km, US 3,155 km

Land use

agricultural land: 54.9% | arable land 11.8%; permanent crops 1.4%; permanent pasture 41.7% | 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

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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 | volcanism: volcanic activity in the central-southern part of the country; the volcanoes in Baja California are mostly dormant; Colima (elev. 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 (elev. 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

Administrative divisions

31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 city* (ciudad); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima, Cuidad de Mexico*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (Veracruz), Yucatan, Zacatecas

Capital

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

Citizenship

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

conventional long form: United Mexican States | conventional short form: Mexico | local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos | local short form: Mexico | etymology: named after the Mexica, the largest and most powerful branch of the Aztecs; the meaning of the name is uncertain

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Roberta JACOBSON (since 20 June 2016) | embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal | mailing address: P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX 78520-9000 | telephone: [52] (55) 5080-2000 | FAX: [52] (55) 5080-2834 | consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Manuel SADA Solana (since 25 May 2016) | chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006 | telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600 | FAX: [1] (202) 728-1698 | 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) | 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 (NV), 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

Executive branch

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

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 | 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); 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

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

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) | elections: Senate - last held on 1 July 2012 for all of the seats (next to be held 1 July 2018); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 7 June 2015 (next to be held on 1 July 2018) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRI 52, PAN 38, PRD 22, PVEM 9, PT 4, Movimiento Ciudadano 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, PNA/PANAL 10, PES 8, PT 6, independent 1

National anthem

name: "Himno Nacional Mexicano" (National Anthem of Mexico) | lyrics/music: Francisco Gonzalez BOCANEGRA/Jaime Nuno ROCA | 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

Political parties and leaders

Citizen's Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano) or MC [Dante DELGADO Rannaoro] | Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) or PRI [Cesar CAMACHO Quiroz] | Labor Party (Partido del Trabajo) or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez] | Mexican Green Ecological Party (Partido Verde Ecologista de Mexico) or PVEM [Jorge Emilio GONZALEZ Torres] | Movement for National Regeneration (Movimiento Regeneracion Nacional) or MORENA [Marti BATRES] | National Action Party (Partido Accion Nacional) or PAN [Gustavo MADERO Munoz] | New Alliance Party (Partido Nueva Alianza) or PNA/PANAL [Luis CASTRO Obregon] | Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) or PRD [Jesus ZAMBRANO Grijalva] | 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

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.

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)

Military expenditures

0.59% of GDP (2012) | 0.56% of GDP (2011) | 0.59% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 124

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)

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.26% (male 17,167,636/female 16,402,301) | 15-24 years: 17.72% (male 11,049,818/female 10,770,843) | 25-54 years: 40.69% (male 24,174,900/female 25,938,909) | 55-64 years: 7.41% (male 4,187,644/female 4,944,802) | 65 years and over: 6.93% (male 3,827,870/female 4,702,026) (2016 est.)

Birth rate

18.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 1,105,617 | percentage: 5% (2009 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.8% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 117

Contraceptive prevalence rate

72.5% (2009)

Death rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 51.7% | youth dependency ratio: 41.9% | elderly dependency ratio: 9.8% | potential support ratio: 10.2% (2015 est.)

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.)

Education expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2011) | country comparison to the world: 72

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.24% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 95

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,000 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

198,200 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30

Health expenditures

6.3% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 108

Hospital bed density

1.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 10.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.9 years | male: 73.1 years | female: 78.8 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 95.1% | male: 96.2% | female: 94.2% (2012 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: intermediate | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A | vectorborne disease: dengue fever | 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)

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 rate

38 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Median age

total: 28 years | male: 26.9 years | female: 29.1 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 133

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.3 (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Mexican(s) | adjective: Mexican

Net migration rate

-1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

27.6% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 23

Physicians density

2.1 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

Population

123,166,749 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

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

1.15% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

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.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years | male: 13 years | female: 13 years (2014)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 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 | total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.25 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 95

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 9.6% | male: 9.2% | female: 10.3% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Urbanization

urban population: 79.2% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 1.57% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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; world's second largest opium poppy cultivator; opium poppy cultivation in 2009 rose 31% over 2008 to 19,500 hectares yielding a potential production of 50 metric tons of pure heroin, or 125 metric tons of "black tar" heroin, the dominant form of Mexican heroin in the western United States; marijuana cultivation increased 45% to 17,500 hectares in 2009; 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 (2007)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 287,000 (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) (2015) | stateless persons: 13 (2015)

Airports

1,714 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 3

Airports - with paved runways

total: 243 | over 3,047 m: 12 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 32 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 80 | 914 to 1,523 m: 86 | under 914 m: 33 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1,471 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 42 | 914 to 1,523 m: 281 | under 914 m: 1,146 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

XA (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 52 | by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 3, chemical tanker 11, liquefied gas 3, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 17, roll on/roll off 3 | foreign-owned: 5 (France 1, Greece 2, South Africa 1, UAE 1) | registered in other countries: 12 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 5, Portugal 1, Spain 1, Venezuela 1, unknown 1) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 70

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 21 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 357 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 45,560,063 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 713,985,467 mt-km (2015)

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

major seaport(s): Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Veracruz | container port(s) (TEUs): Manzanillo (1,992,176), Lazaro Cardenas (1,242,777) (2012) | oil terminals: Cayo Arcas terminal, Dos Bocas terminal | LNG terminal(s) (import): Altamira, Ensenada | cruise port(s): Cancun, Cozumel, Ensenada

Railways

total: 15,389 km | standard gauge: 15,389 km 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified) (2014) | country comparison to the world: 18

Roadways

total: 377,660 km | paved: 137,544 km (includes 7,176 km of expressways) | unpaved: 240,116 km (2012) | country comparison to the world: 19

Waterways

2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals mostly connected with ports on the country's east coast) (2012) | country comparison to the world: 33