The reform of public education in Mexico has been one of the thorniest political issues that President Peña Nieto has faced. However, as teacher assessment and training schemes gradually become standardised, the constitutional commitment to prioritising learning in schools is advancing a step closer to achieving its goals. Private sector and international support at the tertiary level and in vocational…
There is much to be celebrated for the Mexican health care system, which is moving in towards its goal of providing all citizens, regardless of wealth or employment, access to high levels of care. In the last three years, movements to increase coordination between health providers, cut costs and improve services are also to be commended. However, the inherent inefficiencies of the fractured public…
Following 10 years of growth roughly on par with that of the overall economy, Mexico’s agriculture sector outstripped GDP growth by 1.2 percentage points in 2016 and registered a trade surplus for the second year running. Given the uncertainty over future US trade policy, there has rarely been a more urgent or ripe time to address the needs of Mexico’s agriculture industry. In the short term, diversification…
Receiving more than 35m international visitors in 2016 – 2.8m more than in 2015 – Mexico continues to move up the world tourism league table. The country’s ranking in terms of arrivals in global tourism destinations improved from 10th to ninth position in 2016, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation. A weak peso has boosted margins for operators and attracted more visitors while at the…
Mexico’s construction industry is changing gears in 2017. It is the fourth-largest value-added activity in the country and constitutes 8% of GDP. A young, growing population and a rising middle class continue to drive demand for homes, shops, factories and offices. The infrastructure industry is preparing for a future where private sector funding takes over from the public sector and becomes the…
Mexico’s transport sector has witnessed rapid growth in recent years, although question marks over economic integration with the US – one of the driving forces of transport growth – are introducing a period of relative uncertainty. However, the fundamentals remain positive for the sector, based on demographic growth, rising living standards, a growing middle class, and the expansion of manufacturing…
The Mexican telecoms sector is one of the largest and most dynamic in Latin America. The government’s telecoms and broadcasting reforms, introduced through new legislation and a constitutional amendment in June 2013, are widely seen as some of the most successful changes made by the administration of President Peña Nieto. One sign of this is the contribution of the telecoms sector to GDP, which…
Click here to download a PDF copy of the chapter Of all the places vying to be industrial and logistical hubs, San Luis Potosí perhaps lays the best claim to being in the middle of everything. San Luis Potosí is as central as it can be relative to the economic centres of the country. In 2015 the state’s economy expanded by 5.4% compared to 2.6% growth at the national level, putting it in fifth…
Posting growth of 4.26% in 2015, Nuevo León remains well above the national average of 2.53%, with construction, transport, and financial services and insurance displaying the strongest levels of growth. The 2016 US election results, though, have cast some uncertainty over the future of US-Mexico trade relations. While the US is Nuevo León’s chief trading partner, the state has set its sights on…
In 2016 the Mexican manufacturing sector achieved annual growth of 1.3%, as many other sectors of the economy experienced a slowdown. Accounting for 16.8% of GDP, the manufacturing sector is the largest contributor to the national economy. Given the sector’s economic weight, the November 2016 election of US President Donald Trump has created a shadow of uncertainty over the Mexican economy. However,…
