Overview of the Proposed 2026 Federal Budget for Culture
The proposed federal budget for the cultural sector, as part of the economic package delivered by Mexico’s Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público (SHCP) to the Legislative Power, indicates a reduction of nearly 2 billion Mexican pesos for the cultural sector in 2026. This translates to a 13% decrease in raw terms and an estimated 16% decrease when considering inflation.
INAH and INBAL to Experience the Most Drastic Cuts
The Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) and the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL) are the most affected institutions, facing significant budget reductions.
- INAH: The proposed budget is 4,613.4 million pesos, representing a nearly 22% reduction in raw terms.
- INBAL: The proposed budget is approximately 3,943 million pesos, equating to a 19.4% reduction in raw terms.
On a positive note, the Subsecretaría de Desarrollo Cultural and the Subsecretaría de Diversidad Cultural see budget increases. The former will rise from 625.5 million pesos in 2025 to 692.8 million pesos for 2026, a 10.7% increase. The latter will see an estimated 4.3% increase, from 708.5 million pesos to 738.9 million pesos for 2026.
Minimal Increases for Some Dependencies; Cineteca Nacional Faces a Decrease
Most dependencies, such as Radio Educación, the Instituto Nacional del Derecho de Autor (Indautor), the Instituto Nacional de Estudios Históricos para las Revoluciones de México (INEHRM), the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (CCC), the Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas (Inali), the Fondo Nacional para el Fomento de las Artesanías (Fonart), and the Dirección General del Centro Nacional de las Artes (Cenart), will experience minimal budget increases, likely to cover inflation.
However, the Fideicomiso para la Cineteca Nacional faces a more substantial decrease. If approved, its budget will drop from 46.9 million pesos in 2025 to 44.1 million pesos for 2026.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the proposed budget for the cultural sector in 2026? The proposed budget is 13,097.4 million pesos.
- Which institutions will face the most significant budget cuts? The Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) and the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL) will experience the most substantial reductions.
- Are there any budget increases for cultural dependencies? Yes, the Subsecretaría de Desarrollo Cultural and the Subsecretaría de Diversidad Cultural will see budget increases of 10.7% and 4.3%, respectively.
- What is the budget situation for the Cineteca Nacional? If approved, the Cineteca Nacional’s budget will decrease from 46.9 million pesos in 2025 to 44.1 million pesos for 2026.
