About Mexico
Spanish - spoken exclusively by ~93.8% of the population, and alongside indigenous languages by another ~5.4%.
68 native/indigenous languages are officially recognized by national law, including Mayan and Nahuatl, spoken by ~0.6% as a sole language and more broadly alongside Spanish.
Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world by population.
Spanish is Mexico's de facto national language, spoken alongside 68 recognized indigenous languages.
| Geography |
Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US
Map references: North America
Land boundaries:
border countries: Belize, Guatemala, United States
| People |
Population: 131,946,900 (2025 est.) - 10th most populous country in the world, 3rd in the Americas after the US and Brazil
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.3%
15-64 years: 68.6%
65 years and over: 8.2% (2024 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.6 years
male: 71.6 years
female: 77.7 years (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 12.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Nationality:
noun/adjective: Mexican(s)
Ethnic groups: Mestizo (Indigenous-Spanish) 62%, predominantly Indigenous 21%, Indigenous 7%, other 10% (mostly European) (2012 est.); note - Mexico does not collect census data on ethnicity
Religions: Roman Catholic 82.7%, other Evangelical Churches 5%, Pentecostal 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, none 4.7% (2010 est.)
Languages: Spanish only 93.8%, Spanish and indigenous languages (including Mayan, Nahuatl, and others) 5.4%, indigenous only 0.6%, unspecified 0.2% (2020 est.)
Population distribution: the most populous city is the capital, Mexico City, with a population of 9.2 million; its metropolitan area is the most populated at 21.8 million
| Government |
Country name:
conventional long form: United Mexican States
conventional short form: Mexico
Data code: MX
Government type: federal presidential republic
National capital: Mexico City
| Economy |
Economy - overview: upper-middle-income, newly industrialized economy; ranks among the world's top 15 economies; strong manufacturing and export base closely tied to the US market via USMCA; significant regional inequality persists
GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.342 trillion (2025 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (2026f)
GDP - per capita: $25,682 PPP (2025 est.)
Inflation rate: 3.57% (2025)
Unemployment rate: 2.5% (2025 est.)
Labor force: 61,042,968 (2023)
Population below poverty line: 29.6% (2024)
Industries: food processing, beer, soft drinks, auto parts, automobiles, electronics, chemicals, iron, steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Exports: $680.79 billion (2024); machinery, vehicles, electronics/electrical equipment
Exports - partners: United States 82.7%, Canada 2.9%, China 1.9% (2025)
Currency: Mexican peso (MXN)
| Military |
Military - note: the Mexican military's internal security duties are a key focus, particularly combating narcotics trafficking and organized crime, as well as border control and immigration enforcement; a 2019 constitutional amendment granted the president authority to use the armed forces for internal and national security, upheld by courts through 2028
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (16 with parental consent) for voluntary service; men at 18 subject to lottery-based 12-month compulsory service (2025)