💰 Mexico's middle class now larger than number of poor for first time in history

• The share of Mexicans in the middle class increased from 27.2 percent in 2018 to 39.6 percent in 2024.
• Poverty decreased from 41.9 percent to 29.6 percent during the same period.
• Approximately 12 million Mexicans have risen to middle class level since 2018.

Historic shift in Mexico

The Mexican government announced that for the first time in its history, the country has more residents belonging to the middle class than living in poverty. The data is based on World Bank figures and shows a significant change in the country's socioeconomic structure.

Jesús Ramírez, director of President Claudia Sheinbaum's Council of Advisers, presented the figures showing that the Mexican middle class grew by more than 12 percentage points between 2018 and 2024.

Sharp reduction in poverty

According to the national statistics agency INEGI, poverty in Mexico decreased from 41.9 percent of the population in 2018 to 29.6 percent in 2024. In absolute terms, this means the number of Mexicans living in poverty fell from 51.9 million to 38.5 million during the six-year period.

Ramírez noted that the share of the population below the income poverty line decreased from 35.5 percent in 2018 to 21.7 percent in 2024.

Largest growth in Latin America

The World Bank's October 2025 study, "Regional Poverty and Inequality Update, Latin America and the Caribbean," shows that Mexico and Brazil were the Latin American countries whose middle class grew the most since 2018.

Approximately 12 million Mexicans rose to middle class level during the period. The World Bank defines middle class as people with a daily income above 17 US dollars, equivalent to approximately 340 Mexican pesos.

According to Ramírez, the reduction in poverty has had positive effects on the overall economy. Consumption has increased, as have business profits and financial activity.

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