Introduction
The Mexican National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) recently released new poverty multidimensional results for the period 2022-2024. At first glance, these numbers seem encouraging: 8.3 million people have reportedly left poverty multidimensional status, reducing the national figure from 46.8 to 38.5 million people.
Official Discourse vs. Reality
The official discourse quickly hailed the data as a historical achievement, proof of the effectiveness of social programs. However, as is often the case, numbers can look good without necessarily reflecting reality.
Yes, there is an overall improvement. But poverty persists, particularly in the regions where efforts to combat it were most intense. Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca lead the list with 66.5%, 60.6%, and 58.4% of their populations in poverty multidimensional status, respectively.
Economic Growth vs. Political Clientelism
In contrast, states with the lowest proportion of people in poverty—Nuevo León, Baja California, and Baja California Sur—received less direct federal investment. Yet, they show better results due to their economic dynamism: industry, tourism, and foreign trade.
The lesson is simple: poverty is combated with genuine growth, not fiscal clientelism.
Mixed Progress in Social Deficiencies
The report also highlights certain improvements in social deficiencies: reductions in educational lag, access to healthcare, social security, housing quality, and nutrition. However, there is a contradictory datum: the population vulnerable due to social deficiencies increased from 29.5% in 2022 to 32.2% in 2024.
Extreme Poverty and Debt
Extreme poverty has also decreased, from 9.1 to 7 million people—a significant proportional drop but still representing one in twenty Mexicans. There is nothing to celebrate when millions still struggle with basic survival needs.
What’s most concerning is that this apparent improvement lacks a structural foundation. During the same period, public debt doubled from 10 to over 20 trillion pesos. We’ve become twice as indebted, yet the question remains: for what?
Since the poorest states remain the poorest, it’s evident that this money wasn’t used to reverse inequalities but to maintain a transfer model that doesn’t transform, only anesthetizes.
Minimum Wage: A Celebrated Bandwagon
The minimum wage has been another celebrated flag. However, during the analysis period, it barely reached 8,000 pesos per month. Although it may surpass this level today, the income only covers the bare minimum. Vulnerability persists.
Raising the minimum wage offers little help if prices rise more, and income still fails to cover essential needs.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: Are the poverty figures truly improving? A: While the numbers look better, they don’t reflect deep changes. Poverty persists, and regional disparities remain.
- Q: How effective are social programs in combating poverty? A: Their effectiveness is questionable, as poverty remains concentrated in areas that received prioritized attention.
- Q: What is the impact of economic growth on poverty reduction? A: Economic dynamism in certain regions has led to better poverty results, emphasizing the importance of genuine growth.
- Q: How do social deficiencies affect vulnerability? A: Despite improvements in some areas, the population vulnerable due to social deficiencies has increased.
- Q: Is the minimum wage increase making a difference? A: The increase has been minimal, and income still struggles to cover essential needs.
