From 2018 to 2022, Mexico witnessed a decline in its poverty-stricken population from 51.9 million to 46.8 million, even amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (Coneval).
According to Coneval’s multi-dimensional poverty assessment results, the percentage of individuals living in poverty decreased from 41.9% in 2018 to 36.3% in 2022.
This implies that in 2022 roughly 36 out of every 100 Mexicans faced deprivation in their social rights and had insufficient monthly income to cover basic food and essential services.
Regions with the highest poverty rates in 2022 included Chiapas (67.4%), Guerrero (60.4%), Oaxaca (58.4%), Puebla (54.0%), and Tlaxcala (52.5%).
However, Coneval noted a concerning rise in people lacking access to healthcare services, with numbers escalating from 20.1 million in 2018 to 50.4 million in 2022.
To address this, the council emphasized the need to enhance public transfer programs, ensure the inclusion of those in extreme poverty, and develop a comprehensive national health system to guarantee consistent service availability.
Coneval also reiterated the importance of bolstering efforts towards generating formal employment opportunities or moving towards a comprehensive, non-contributory social security system since access to social security remains a paramount challenge.