Social situation Basic rights not yet realised

Mexico is a typical emerging economy: on the one hand, the country is an important regional and global player that has achieved considerable economic success and that is actively involved in shaping international politics. On the other hand, it is still facing the social and environmental challenges typically associated with a developing country.

The current Human Development Index (HDI) ranks Mexico 77th out of the 193 countries assessed. Thanks to comprehensive social programmes, the country has managed to reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty. According to World Bank data, some two per cent of Mexico's people currently live on less than 1.90 US dollars a day.

However, the country has not yet managed to eliminate the structural causes of poverty. The Mexican government calculates the national poverty rate on the basis of a multidimensional index, according to which more than 40 per cent of the country's people are still living in poverty.

The distribution of wealth is extremely unequal, with huge differences between regions and between population groups.

Violence against women

Although Mexico is a signatory to the main human rights treaties, they are not being implemented consistently. In particular, violence against women has reached alarming proportions. In response to the rising number of women murdered, “femicide” has been made a crime in its own right in several Mexican states.

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