The Health in the Americas+¹ country profiles are based on the interagency indicators available as of the dates referenced. The sources are referenced in this table. In some cases, the values of the indicators may differ from the most recent data available in the country.

Environmental and social determinants of health

In 2000 the total population of Mexico was 98 625 552 inhabitants; by 2024 this figure had risen to 130 861 007, representing a 32.7% increase. Regarding the country’s demographic profile, in 2024 people over 65 years of age accounted for 8.2% of the total population, an increase of 3.2 percentage points compared to the year 2000. In 2024, there were 106.2 women per 100 men and 33.7 older people (65 years or older) per 100 children under 15 years of age, as can be seen in the country’s population pyramids, distributed by age group and sex (Figure 1). Considering the population between 15 and 64 years of age to be potentially active (i.e., potential participants in the labor force), this group represented 67.2% of the total population of the country in 2024 (87 993 476 people). When we add these figures to the potentially passive population (32 073 369 under 15 years of age and 10 794 162 over 65 years of age), the result is a dependency ratio of 48.7 potentially passive people per 100 potentially active people. This ratio was 64.8 in 2000.

Life expectancy at birth in 2024 was 75.3 years, lower than the average for the Region of the Americas and 2.7 years higher that in 2000 (72.6).

Between 2000 and 2020, the average number of years of schooling in Mexico increased by 38.4%, reaching an average of 9.2 years in the latest year for which information is available. The unemployment rate in 2023 was 2.8%. Disaggregated by sex, the rate was 2.9% for women and 2.8% for men. The literacy rate was 99.0% in 2022. In men, this figure was 99.2%; in women, 98.7%. In addition, 36.3% of the population were below the national poverty line in 2022, a decrease from 43.6% in 2016. In 2022, 1.2% of the population was living in poverty, defined as the percentage of the population with an income of less than US$ 2.15 per day; this is below the regional average of 2.6%.

During the period 2000-2022, the country improved its score on the Human Development Index, with an increase of 10.2% (from a score of 0.709 to a score of 0.781); during the same period, the index rose 14.6% internationally and 11.2% in Latin America (Figure 2).

In 2021, public expenditure on health accounted for 3.05% of gross domestic product (GDP) (Figure 3) and 11.03% of total public expenditure, while out-of-pocket spending on health accounted for 41.37% of total health expenditure.

Digital coverage

In 2021, 75.6% of the population had an internet connection, representing a considerable increase from 2000, when 5.1% of the population had an internet connection.

Health situation

Maternal and child health

Between 2000 and 2021, infant mortality in Mexico decreased from 22.55 to 12.65 deaths per 1000 live births, a decrease of 43.9% (Figure 4). The percentage of low-weight births (less than 2500 g) decreased from 9.7% to 6.7% between 2000 and 2021.

Regarding the immunization strategy, measles vaccination coverage was 86% in 2022, a decrease of 10 percentage points from 2000.

The maternal mortality ratio in 2020 was estimated at 59.1 deaths per 100 000 live births, representing a 4.6% increase compared to the estimated value in 2000 (Figure 5). In relation to fertility, it is estimated that in 2024 women had an average of 1.9 children throughout their reproductive lives. In the specific case of adolescent fertility, there was a 17.9% decrease, from 72.3 live births per 1000 women aged 15 to 19 years in 2000 to 59.3 in 2024. In 2022, 87.5% of births were attended by skilled birth personnel. Between 2009 and 2020 the percentage of pregnant people who had four or more consultations for antenatal care increased from 83.9% to 87.8%.

Communicable diseases

In 2022, there were 20 new cases of tuberculosis per 100 000 population in Mexico. In 2019, the overall tuberculosis mortality rate (age-adjusted and per 100 000 population) was 1.6 (0.9 in women and 2.4 in men).

In 2022, the estimated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection incidence rate (new diagnoses) was 13.1 per 100 000 population. The age-adjusted mortality rate for HIV was 3.2 per 100 000 population in 2019. It should be noted that during the 2000-2019 period this indicator decreased by 34%. There were four reported cases of human rabies in the country in 2022.

Noncommunicable diseases and risk factors

In Mexico in 2023, the prevalence of tobacco use among people aged 15 and older was 11.9%. In the same age group, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 73.4% in 2022.

Also in 2016, 28.9% of the population reported insufficient physical activity.

In 2015, the reported prevalence of arterial hypertension (high blood pressure) among people aged 18 years or older was 19.7%, a decrease of 4.1 percentage points compared to 2000 (23.8%). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus, which stood at 9.5% in 2000, increased to 11.2% in 2014.

Mortality

En el 2019, la tasa ajustada de mortalidad prematura potencialmente evitable en México fue de 254,5 muertes por 100 000 habitantes, lo que equivale a una disminución de 9,4% en comparación con la tasa de 280,9 registrada en el 2000. En este sentido, el país presentó en el 2019 una tasa 12,3% mayor a la notificada para la Región de las Américas. De las muertes prematuras potencialmente evitables, la tasa por causas tratables ascendió a 117,4 por 100 000 habitantes, frente a un promedio regional de 89,6.

En cuanto a la tasa de mortalidad general ajustada por edad, en el 2019 fue de 5,8 por 1000 habitantes, lo cual implica un descenso de 7,6% con respecto al 2000 (6,2 muertes por cada 1000 habitantes).

Al categorizar las muertes en tres grupos principales, se observa que en el 2019 la tasa de mortalidad ajustada por edad por enfermedades transmisibles fue de 52,4 por 100 000 habitantes (62,4 por 100 000 en hombres y 43,7 por 100 000 en mujeres), mientras que la tasa de mortalidad ajustada por edad a causa de enfermedades no transmisibles ascendió a 468,7 por 100 000 habitantes (544,7 por 100 000 en hombres y 404,6 por 100 000 en mujeres). Por su parte, la tasa de mortalidad ajustada por edad por causas externas fue de 58,8 por 100 000 habitantes (99,3 por 100 000 en hombres y 21,3 por 100 000 en mujeres), en cuyo caso destacan los accidentes de transporte terrestre (12,9 por 100 000 habitantes), los homicidios (25,3 por 100 000 habitantes) y los suicidios (5,3 por 100 000 habitantes). En el 2000, la distribución porcentual de las causas fue de 70,2% para las enfermedades no transmisibles, 17,9% para las transmisibles y 11,9% para las causas externas, en tanto que para el 2019 los porcentajes fueron de 80,4%, 9,1%, y 10,5%, respectivamente (figura 6).

Cancer mortality

Regarding cancer mortality from tumors, in 2019, the adjusted mortality rate from prostate cancer was 14.1 per 100 000 men; lung cancer, 8.5 per 100 000; and colorectal cancer, 6.6 per 100 000. In women, these values were 11.2 deaths per 100 000 for breast cancer; 4.3 per 100 000 for lung cancer; and 4.9 per 100 000 for colorectal cancer.

The sources of the interagency indicators used in this profile can be found in this table.