Understanding the Gender Income Gap in Querétaro
Querétaro, a state in Mexico, faces a significant gender income gap of 20.6%, surpassing the national average of 15.8%. This information is derived from the State Competitiveness Index (ICE) 2025, published by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO).
The gender income gap is defined as the absolute difference between average monthly incomes of men and women, divided by the average monthly income of men.
Querétaro’s Position Among Other States
With this gap, Querétaro ranks 28th out of the 32 federal entities in terms of income disparity, placing it among the states with the lowest competitiveness level. This gap has widened by 3.2 percentage points over the past year, as it was 17.4% in 2024, causing Querétaro to drop six positions.
Among 13 local indicators studied by the IMCO to analyze each state’s labor market, Querétaro ranked last in terms of the salary gap compared to other states.
However, nationally, the income gap has narrowed by 0.4 percentage points in a year, decreasing from 16.2% in 2024 to 15.8% in the 2025 indicator.
Comparison with Other States
Ciudad de México leads with the widest gap at 27.8%, followed by Morelos (23.1%), Guerrero (22.9%), Sinaloa (22.9%), and Querétaro (20.6%). Conversely, Chiapas (0.1%), Tabasco (5.6%), Campeche (6%), Veracruz (11.2%), and Estado de México (12%) have the smallest gender income gaps.
Strategies to Eliminate the Gender Income Gap
Despite progress in gender equality, the IMCO’s study How to Close the Salary Gap? Strategies for Eliminating It in Mexico highlights that the salary gap remains a critical issue, limiting women’s economic opportunities and affecting corporate competitiveness and national economic growth.
With support from the British Embassy in Mexico, IMCO proposes seven mechanisms to eradicate the gender-based salary gap, targeting both public and private sectors:
- Public Sector: Standardize salary gap measurement, advance towards transparent salaries, and establish a national care system as the lack of care services affects women’s labor market participation.
- Private Sector: Implement inclusive selection and promotion processes, design salary structures, conduct salary audits, obtain gender equality certifications, and promote inclusion policies.
