Mexico has a developing mixed economy. It is the 13th largest in the world in nominal GDP terms and by purchasing power parity as of 2024. Since the 1994 crisis, administrations have improved the country's macroeconomic fundamentals. Mexico was not significantly influenced by the 2002 South American crisis and maintained positive, although low, rates of growth after a brief period of stagnation in 2001. However, Mexico was one of the Latin American nations most affected by the 2008 recession, with its gross domestic product contracting by more than 6% that year. Mexico has the lowest social expenditure among OECD countries, roughly 7.5% of GDP.
The Mexican economy has maintained macroeconomic stability, reducing inflation and interest rates to record lows. Despite this, significant gaps persist between the urban and the rural population, the northern and southern states, and the rich and the poor. Some of the unresolved issues include the upgrade of infrastructure, the modernization of the tax system and labor laws, and the reduction of income inequality. Tax revenues, 19.6 percent of GDP in 2013, were the lowest among the 34 OECD countries. The main problems Mexico faces are poverty rates and regional inequalities remaining high. The lack of formal employment, low access to financial services, and corruption has limited productivity growth. The medium-term growth prospects were also affected by a lower proportion of women in the workforce, and low investment since 2015.
