Background on the Situation in Mexico City
Mexico City has witnessed a significant decrease in extreme poverty, falling from an initial 19% to just 9% between 2018 and 2024, according to the Integrated Poverty Measurement (IPM) by the City of Mexico Evaluation Council (Evalúa). During this period, 850,000 individuals managed to escape extreme poverty. However, the city still faces challenges as 19.7% of its population remains in poverty, and 47.1% experiences at least one social deprivation.
Understanding Social Deprivations
The IPM incorporates the concept of “time poverty,” which acknowledges that insufficient leisure time, family interaction time, or rest time negatively impacts quality of life. In Mexico City, 57% of the population suffers from this condition due to long working hours, lengthy commutes—especially in peripheral areas where up to 4-5 hours can be lost daily on transportation—and excessive household and caregiving responsibilities, predominantly shouldered by women.
Government Initiatives to Combat Time Poverty
Araceli Damián, the Secretary of Well-being, highlighted that reducing time poverty is a key objective for the city. The capital’s government has implemented policies such as the Public Care System, aiming to redistribute domestic and care responsibilities. Additionally, investments in mobility like Cablebús, Metro modernization, and the expansion of electric vehicles aim to return quality time to citizens, as stated by Governor Clara Brugada Molina.
Key Achievements in Poverty Reduction
Extreme poverty in Mexico City dropped by 19% to 9%, indicating that approximately 900,000 people escaped this condition between 2018 and 2024. This reduction is described as “unprecedented in decades,” with the city aiming for further historical reductions in extreme poverty by 2030.
Poverty based on income in Mexico City decreased by 12 percentage points between 2018 and 2024, falling from 48% to 37%. This improvement is attributed to increased minimum wages, expanded social programs, and formal job creation.
Progress in Other Poverty Components
The Unmet Basic Needs (UBN) component saw an 8.2 percentage point reduction during the same period, with education experiencing the most significant drop of 22.6 points. Other areas showing improvement include security, health, and housing.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the Integrated Poverty Measurement (IPM)? The IPM is a comprehensive assessment tool developed by Evalúa that evaluates various dimensions of poverty, including income, time poverty, and unmet basic needs.
- What is time poverty? Time poverty refers to the lack of available leisure, rest, or family interaction time due to long working hours, extended commutes, and excessive domestic responsibilities.
- What policies has the Mexico City government implemented to address time poverty? The government has introduced initiatives like the Public Care System and investments in mobility, such as Cablebús, Metro modernization, and electric vehicle expansion.
- What are the key achievements in poverty reduction in Mexico City? Extreme poverty has dropped from 19% to 9%, and income-based poverty has decreased from 48% to 37%. The Unmet Basic Needs component also saw an 8.2 percentage point reduction.
