GNV News, August 31, 2025

According to data released by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), over the six years from 2018 to 2024, “multidimensional poverty” in Mexico decreased by 13.4 million people, equivalent to about 26%.

Mexico was the first country in the world to introduce “multidimensional poverty measurement.” “Multidimensional poverty” refers to forms of poverty that cannot be captured solely in economic terms, manifesting in various ways such as educational opportunities, health status, social protection, and living standards like access to clean water and electricity.

Behind the decline in multidimensional poverty in Mexico are welfare policies advanced by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (known as “AMLO”). His administration expanded cash transfers for older adults, farmers, and youth, and raised the minimum wage from US$4.75 at his 2018 inauguration to the current US$15—roughly tripling it—while household income was bolstered, rising by 15.6%.

That said, challenges remain. According to the same report, deterioration is particularly pronounced in access to healthcare: the number of people unable to receive adequate medical services increased sharply from 20.1 million in 2018 to more than 44 million in 2024. Regional disparities in poverty rates also remain severe: in urban areas, 25% (25.5 million people) are affected, whereas in rural areas 45.8% of the population—13 million people—are in a state of multidimensional poverty.

Learn more about Mexico → “Reforms advancing in Mexico”

Learn more about poverty → “How to interpret the state of global poverty?”

Revisit the “poverty” issue → “Roundup article: Global poverty issues”

Photo: Houses in Hidalgo, Mexico (Sandstein / Wikimedia Commons [CC-BY-SA-2.0] )