Economy — Mexico
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Economy at a glance
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency. Key figure for Mexico: Mexico's $2.4 trillion economy – the 11th largest in the world - has become increasingly oriented toward manufacturing since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into force in 1994. Per capita income is roughly one-third that of the United States; income distribution remains highly unequal. Mexico…
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Economic overview
- Economic Overview
Mexico's $2.4 trillion economy – the 11th largest in the world - has become increasingly oriented toward manufacturing since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into force in 1994.
Per capita income is roughly one-third that of the United States; income distribution remains highly unequal.
Mexico has become the United States' second-largest export market and third-largest source of imports.
In 2017, two-way trade in goods and services exceeded $623 billion.
Mexico has free trade agreements with 46 countries, putting more than 90% of its trade under free trade agreements.
In 2012, Mexico formed the Pacific Alliance with Peru, Colombia, and Chile.
Mexico's current government, led by President Enrique PEÑA NIETO, has emphasized economic reforms, passing and implementing sweeping energy, financial, fiscal, and telecommunications reform legislation, among others, with the long-term aim to improve competitiveness and economic growth across the Mexican economy.
Since 2015, Mexico has held public auctions of oil and gas exploration and development rights and for long-term electric power generation contracts.
Mexico has also issued permits for private sector import, distribution, and retail sales of refined petroleum products in an effort to attract private investment into the energy sector and boost production.
Since 2013, Mexico’s economic growth has averaged 2% annually, falling short of private-sector expectations that President PEÑA NIETO’s sweeping reforms would bolster economic prospects.
Growth is predicted to remain below potential given falling oil production, weak oil prices, structural issues such as low productivity, high inequality, a large informal sector employing over half of the workforce, weak rule of law, and corruption.
Mexico’s economy remains vulnerable to uncertainty surrounding the future of NAFTA — because the United States is its top trading partner and the two countries share integrated supply chains — and to potential shifts in domestic policies following the inauguration of a new president in December 2018.
- Industries
Food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
- GDP - per capita (PPP)
$18,500.00 (USD)
- GDP - real growth rate
2.3%
GDP & growth
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)
$2,306,320,000,000 (USD)
- GDP Per Capita
$18,500.00 (USD)
- GDP - real growth rate
2.3%
- GDP - official exchange rate
$1,161,000,000,000 (USD)
- GDP - composition, by end use
- Household consumption: 67.3%
- Government consumption: 12.1%
- Investment in fixed capital: 21.2%
- Investment in inventories: -0.7%
- Exports of goods and services: 38.4%
- Imports of goods and services: -38.3%
- GDP by Sector- agriculture
3.5%
- GDP by Sector- Industry
34.1%
- GDP by Sector- services
62.4%
- Industrial Growth Rate
3.6%
Prices & money
- Inflation Rate
3.6%
- Exchange Rate per US Dollar
19.63
- Currency Name and Code
Mexican Peso (MXN)
- Fiscal Year
Calendar Year
- Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
4.7%
Employment & labor
- Labor Force
50,700,000
- Unemployment Rate
5%
- Unemployment - note
Underemployment may be as high as 25%
- Major Industries
Food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
- Agriculture Products
- Corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes
- beef, poultry, dairy products
- wood products
- Population Below Poverty Line
51.3%
- Child Labor - # of children ages 5-14
1,105,617
- Child Labor - % of children ages 5-14
5%
Public finance
- Annual Budget
$276,200,000,000 (USD)
- Public Debt (% of GDP)
35.4%
- Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP
-2.5%
- Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP
21.9%
