Geography
Climate: varies from tropical to desert.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Mexico
North AmericaGlobal Leader
With a global ranking of #2, Mexico leads in tourist arrivals. Test your knowledge of this global leader.
With a global ranking of #2, Mexico leads in tourist arrivals. Few places match this level of performance. Test your knowledge of this global leader.
23.0, -102.0 - North America
Area
2.0M km²
Pop.
130.74M
Stats
188
Reality brief
Mexico is a country in North America with a population of 130.74M and an area of 1,964,375 km². Life expectancy is 75.1 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Life Satisfaction
8.4 pts#1globally
Average self-reported life satisfaction on a 0-10 scale, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Land Area
1.94M km²#13globally
Total land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
Human Development Index
0.79#82globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita
$22,033.28#87globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$25,738.6#87globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Mexico
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include Spanish only 93.8%, Spanish and indigenous languages (including Mayan, Nahuatl, and others) 5.4%, and more.
CIA 2026
Identity
Formal name: United Mexican States.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Mexico
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Tijuana
Baja California, Mexico
Famous81/100
Open city guide
Ciudad Juárez
Chihuahua, Mexico
Famous71/100
Open city guide
Mexico City
Mexico
Famous100/100
Open city guide
Monterrey
Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Famous88/100
Open city guide
Guadalajara
Jalisco, Mexico
Famous85/100
Open city guide
Puebla
Mexico
Famous84/100
Open city guide
Mérida
Yucatan, Mexico
Famous79/100
Open city guide
Chihuahua
Mexico
Famous78/100
Open city guide
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Homicide Rate
27.4 per 100k#1globallyTop stat
Intentional homicide deaths per 100,000 people, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Tourist Arrivals
51.13M#2globallyTop stat
How many international tourists visit the country each year.
Airports
1.6K#4globallyTop stat
Large, medium, and small airport records by country from the open OurAirports dataset.
Irrigated Land
59.9K km²#10globallyTop stat
Irrigated land area from CIA World Factbook.
Coastline Length
9.3K km#15globallyTop stat
Total coastline length from CIA World Factbook.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Ranks #4 globally in women in parliament (%)
#450.2%Women in Parliament (%)
The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
Only ranks #38 in life expectancy
#3875.5 yearsLife Expectancy
Life expectancy at birth in years, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Keeps long-term unemployment unusually low
#360.06% of workforceLong-Term Unemployment
Share of the workforce unemployed for a long period, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Ranks #11 globally in forest area
#11653.1K km²Forest Area
Total forest area in square kilometers, including natural and planted trees at least 5 meters tall.
Ranks #13 globally in gdp (nominal)
#13$1,856,365,616,165.94GDP (Nominal)
The country's total economic output in current US dollars.
Compared with the region
How Mexico Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Mexico
North America avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $25,738.6
- Region avg
- $38,271.63
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Mexico$25,738.6
North America$38,271.63
World$31,844.55
-19% below worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 75.1 years
- Region avg
- 75.5 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Mexico75.1 years
North America75.5 years
World73.7 years
+2% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.79
- Region avg
- 0.77
- World avg
- 0.74
Mexico0.79
North America0.77
World0.74
+7% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 81%
- Region avg
- 76.55%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Mexico81%
North America76.55%
World70.29%
+15% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Mexico
Country briefing
Mexico was the site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations -- including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec -- until Spain conquered and colonized the area in the early 16th century.
Read the full Factbook note
Mexico was the site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations -- including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec -- until Spain conquered and colonized the area 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 Mexican Revolution in 1910 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 PEÑA NIETO regained the presidency for the PRI in 2012. Left-leaning anti-establishment politician and former mayor of Mexico City (2000-05) Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR, from the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), became president in 2018.
The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, or T-MEC by its Spanish acronym) entered into force in 2020 and replaced its predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Mexico amended its constitution in 2019 to facilitate the implementation of the labor components of USMCA.
Mexico is currently the US's second-largest goods trading partner, after Canada. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, high underemployment, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities, particularly for the largely indigenous population in the impoverished southern states. Since 2007, Mexico's powerful transnational criminal organizations have engaged in a struggle to control criminal markets, resulting in tens of thousands of drug-related homicides and forced disappearances.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of America, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States
- Climate
- varies from tropical to desert
- Terrain
- high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, silver, antimony, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
- Natural Hazards
- tsunamis along the Pacific coast; volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south; hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of America, and Caribbean coasts volcanism: volcanic activity in the central-southern part of the country; the volcanoes in Baja California are mostly dormant; Colima (3,850 m) is Mexico's most active volcano and is responsible for 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 (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; see note 2 under "Geography - note"
- Size Comparison
- slightly less than three times the size of Texas
People & Culture4 facts
- 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.)
- Religions
- Catholic 77.7%, no religion 10.6%, other Evangelical Churches 7.5%, Jehovah Witness 1.2%; less than 1 percent: Pentecostal, Seventh Day Adventist, Historics, not specified, Latter Day Saints, other religions (2020 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Mestizo (Indigenous-Spanish) 62%, predominantly Indigenous 21%, Indigenous 7%, other 10% (mostly European) (2012 est.)
- Major Cities
- 22.281 million MEXICO CITY (capital), 5.420 million Guadalajara, 5.117 million Monterrey, 3.345 million Puebla, 2.626 million Toluca de Lerdo, 2.260 million Tijuana (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- federal presidential republic
- Capital
- Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico)
- Capital Coordinates
- 19 26 N, 99 08 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- United Mexican States
- Name Origin
- name may derive from one of the Nahuatl (Aztec) names for the capital city, Metztlixihtlico, which probably meant "the center of the moon;" alternatively, it may come from Mexica, the original name of the Aztec people
- Independence
- 16 September 1810 (declared independence from Spain); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain)
- National Symbols
- golden eagle, dahlia
- National Anthem
- "Himno Nacional Mexicano" (National Anthem of Mexico)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 36 (28 cultural, 6 natural, 2 mixed)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- upper-middle-income economy; highly integrated with US via trade and nearshore manufacturing; weak domestic demand, fiscal consolidation, and trade uncertainty contributing to sluggish growth; low unemployment; challenges from income inequality, corruption, and cartel-based violence
- Industries
- food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
- Agricultural Products
- sugarcane, maize, milk, oranges, sorghum, tomatoes, chicken, chillies/peppers, wheat, lemons/limes (2023)
- Export Partners
- USA 76%, Canada 5%, China 2%, Germany 2%, Spain 1% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- cars, vehicle parts/accessories, crude petroleum, trucks, computers (2023)
- Import Partners
- USA 46%, China 20%, Germany 4%, Japan 3%, S. Korea 3% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- vehicle parts/accessories, refined petroleum, integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, cars (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense5 facts
- Military Forces
- the Mexican Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de México) are divided between the Secretariat of National Defense and the Secretariat of the Navy: Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional, SEDENA): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Mexicana, FAM), National Guard (Guardia Nacional); 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)) Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection/SEDENA: National Guard (2025)
- Military Service
- 18 years of age (16 with parental consent) for voluntary service for men and women; men at age 18 subject to lottery-based 12-month compulsory military service (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 79.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 3.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 4.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 5.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 5.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); geothermal: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- telecom reform in 2013 ended a quasi-monopoly; now 885 TV stations and 1,841 radio stations, most privately owned; foreign satellite and cable operators are available; completed transition to digital in 2016 (2022)
- Space Program
- has a national space policy with a focus on expanding Mexico's commercial space sector, including acquiring satellites and developing specialists, technologies, and infrastructure; manufactures and operates communications and scientific satellites; conducts research on a range of space-related capabilities and technologies, including astronomy, astrophysics, Earth and weather sciences, remote sensing, robotics, satellite payloads, and telecommunications; works with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial space industries, including those of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the ESA, individual ESA member states (particularly France, Germany, and the UK), India, Japan, Peru, Russia, Ukraine, and the US; led effort to establish the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency and hosts its headquarters (2025)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Society & Equality6 statsBest: #1
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #2
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #4
Environment9 statsBest: #10
Irrigated Land
59.9K km²#10
Forest Area
Total CO2 Emissions
Forest Coverage (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Protected Land (%)
Renewable Energy (%)
Electricity Access (%)
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Demographics12 statsBest: #10
Population
Land Area
Teen Birth Rate
Urban Population (%)
Youth Population (%)
Birth Rate
Elderly Population (%)
Fertility Rate
Median Age
Population Density
Death Rate
Dependency Ratio
Education & Future7 statsBest: #11
Wealth & Economy13 statsBest: #13
GDP (Nominal)
High-Tech Exports (%)
Inflation Rate
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
Gender Pay Gap (%)
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
Government Debt (% GDP)
GDP Growth Rate
Unemployment Rate
Youth Unemployment Rate
Employment Rate (%)
Long-Term Unemployment
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #15
Coastline Length
9.3K km#15
Highest Elevation
5.6K m#20
Land Border Length
4.4K km#44
Lowest Elevation
-10 m#217
Energy2 statsBest: #17
Electric Generating Capacity
105.59M kW#17
Nuclear Electricity Share
4.9%#27
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #19
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #31
Obesity Rate
Doctors (per 1,000)
Life Expectancy
Suicide Rate
Infant Mortality
Child Mortality
Health Spending (% GDP)
Smoking Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
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Mexico
#1 in Life Satisfaction
Average self-reported life satisfaction on a 0-10 scale, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Top 5% globally
8.4 pts
Frequently Asked Questions about Mexico
What is the population of Mexico?
Mexico has a population of 130.74M, ranking #10 globally by population.
What continent is Mexico in?
Mexico is located in North America. It has an area of 1,964,375 km².
What is the life expectancy in Mexico?
Life expectancy in Mexico is 75.1 years, ranking #102 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Mexico?
Mexico's GDP per capita (PPP) is $25,738.6, ranking #87 globally.
What is Mexico known for in global statistics?
Mexico ranks particularly high in Life Satisfaction (#1), Population (#10), Land Area (#13).
What is Mexico's Human Development Index?
Mexico has an HDI of 0.789, ranking #82 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Mexico?
Mexico has a population density of 66.7 people per km², ranking #136 globally.