Background on the Issue
In March 2025, an alarming 61.9% of Mexicans believed that living in their city was unsafe, marking a 0.9-point increase from the same month in 2024, according to the National Urban Public Security Survey published by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) on a trimester basis.
Gender Breakdown
When the data is broken down by gender, 67.5% of women and 55.0% of men expressed concerns about urban insecurity in March 2025.
Cities with Highest Insecurity Perception
The survey identified the following cities with the highest percentage of residents aged 18 and over who felt unsafe in their city:
- Villahermosa: 90.6%
- Culiacán Rosales: 89.7%
- Fresnillo: 89.5%
- Uruapan: 88.7%
- Irapuato: 88.4%
- Chimalhuacán: 86.1%
Cities with Lowest Insecurity Perception
In contrast, the following cities reported lower perceptions of insecurity:
- San Pedro Garza García: 10.4%
- Benito Juárez: 20.4%
- Piedras Negras: 20.5%
- Puerto Vallarta: 23.0%
- Saltillo: 24.5%
- Los Cabos: 24.7%
Changes in Perception Over Time
Between March 2024 and 2025, the survey found a statistically significant increase in perceived insecurity in 20 cities. Fourteen cities experienced a decrease, while 57 cities showed no change.
Expectations for Future Security
Perception of Unsafe Places:
According to the survey, 69.1% of respondents felt unsafe at ATMs in public areas, making it the location with the highest perceived insecurity. Other places of concern included public transportation (62.8%), roads (56.1%), and banks (53.2%).
Future Expectations:
Regarding future security expectations, 31.6% of respondents believed the situation would remain equally bad, a decrease of 2.3 points from March 2024. Furthermore, 22.9% anticipated worsening conditions over the next year, a statistically significant increase of 1.4 percentage points from March 2024 (21.5%) and 1.3 percentage points from December 2024 (21.6%).
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: What percentage of Mexicans felt unsafe in their city by March 2025? A: 61.9%
- Q: How did the perception of insecurity differ by gender? A: 67.5% of women and 55.0% of men felt unsafe in their city.
- Q: Which cities had the highest perception of insecurity? A: Villahermosa (90.6%), Culiacán Rosales (89.7%), Fresnillo (89.5%), Uruapan (88.7%), Irapuato (88.4%), and Chimalhuacán (86.1%).
- Q: Which cities had the lowest perception of insecurity? A: San Pedro Garza García (10.4%), Benito Juárez (20.4%), Piedras Negras (20.5%), Puerto Vallarta (23.0%), Saltillo (24.5%), and Los Cabos (24.7%).
- Q: How many cities showed a statistically significant increase in perceived insecurity? A: 20 cities.
- Q: What percentage of respondents expected the security situation to remain bad or worsen? A: 31.6% expected it to remain bad, and 22.9% anticipated worsening conditions over the next year.
