Overview of the National Educational System’s Changes
During the 2024-2025 school year, Mexico’s national educational system reported changes in its key indicators. The total student enrollment stood at 34,370,600, marking a decrease of 438,700 students compared to the 34,809,300 recorded in 2023-2024, according to data from the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP).
This variation represents a 1.26% reduction. The decline was primarily observed in public education, which dropped from 29,235,600 to 28,769,400 students—a 1.6% contraction. Conversely, private institutions saw an increase from 5,573,700 to 5,601,300 students, a mere 0.5% rise.
Enrollment Trends Across Educational Levels
- Early childhood education: 5,016 (-0.14%)
- Preschool: 87,655 (-0.17%)
- Primary: 96,267 (-0.19%)
- Secondary: 42,975 (+1.72%), particularly notable in telesecundarias
Growth in Teacher Workforce
Despite the decline in student enrollment, the teacher workforce experienced a more significant increase. The total number of teachers rose from 2,153,916 in 2023-2024 to 2,180,559 in 2024-2025—a 1.24% growth.
- Public sector: 1,668,477 (+0.9%)
- Private sector: 512,082 (+2.3%)
The distribution by educational level shows that basic education continues to concentrate the majority of teachers, increasing from 1,231,733 to 1,237,782 (+0.49%). Upper-secondary education experienced a decrease from 425,826 to 423,587 (-0.52%), while higher education saw significant growth from 496,357 to 519,190 (+4.6%).
Reasons for the Enrollment Decline
Experts consulted by El Economista warn that the reasons behind the decline in student enrollment extend beyond demographic dynamics, pointing to low academic performance, financial constraints, and lack of interest in continuing studies.
María Teresa Gutiérrez, Director of Indicators Monitoring at Mexicanos Primero, explained that while the decrease in population growth is a factor—with a significant drop since 2020 and slow recovery post-pandemic—SEP’s data shows a reduction in net coverage rates.
- Secundaria: 1-1.2 percentage points decrease
- Primaria: 1 percentage point decrease
- Media superior: stable
Gutiérrez pointed out that the lack of up-to-date abandonment data complicates the evaluation of social programs like scholarships.
Fernanda García, Director of Sociedad at the Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad (IMCO), highlighted that Mexico’s declining enrollment cannot be attributed solely to the population pyramid. She mentioned underlying causes related to inequality, resource scarcity, school abandonment, and migration to private schools.
García also noted that Mexico has insufficient teachers to cater to students, with teachers handling larger student-to-teacher ratios compared to international standards that favor smaller, more personalized groups.
The researcher questioned budgetary cuts in lower-coverage levels, such as secondary and higher education, and the lack of clarity in implementing government-announced programs.
