Mexicans’ perceptions of progress have tripled in the last six years, according to the Latinobarómetro, a regional survey conducted by the Chile-based nongovernmental organization Latinobarómetro Corporation. Each year, Latinobarómetro surveys citizens’ perceptions of governance, economic opportunity and personal safety, among other issues, in 17 Latin American countries.
The 2024 edition of the survey in Mexico revealed that the percentage of Mexicans who perceive that their country is progressing rose from 14% in 2018 to 45% in 2024.
Perceptions of progress, democracy and the economy in Mexico in 2024
According to the study, the number of Mexicans who believe the country is stagnating fell from 59% to 37% in that same period, while the proportion of Mexicans who believe the country is in decline decreased from 26% to 16% between 2023 and 2024.
That nearly half of the Mexicans surveyed in 2024 believe their country is progressing puts Mexico way above the regional average of 28%.
A survey question regarding the national economy in 2024 showed that 47% of Mexicans consider Mexico’s economy to be “much better” or “a little better,” compared to the same period in 2023. Latinobarómetro’s survey also revealed that 75% of respondents in Mexico supported former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who was still in office or recently retired when the study was conducted, between Aug. 23 and Oct. 9, 2024.
Across the region, the Dominican Republic and Panama had the highest levels of optimism regarding personal and family finances, with 74% of respondents believing their economic condition would improve in the next 12 months. Mexico came in sixth place and above the average, with 59% of surveyed individuals expressing a positive outlook on their financial prospects over the next year.
The report also shows that 50% of Mexicans said they were “very” or “somewhat satisfied” with democracy in Mexico.
In response to the question “Who does your government rule for?”, however, Mexicans were divided: 47% said “for the good of all people,” whereas 50% said “for the good of the groups in power.”
The 2024 regional results suggest that in Latin American societies, optimism about the future of personal and family wealth is high. However, overall, confidence in each country’s economy remains low. This implies that there is an underlying pressure on the national economy that is contradicted by a positive perception of it.
Latinobarómetro calls this the pressure of expectations, which in 2024, is at its highest level since 1995.
What are Mexicans currently most concerned about?
A recent Statista Consumer Insights survey shared by Forbes México showed that 41% of respondents in Mexico are concerned about inflation and the cost of living, while 52% and 54% are concerned about unemployment and poverty, respectively.
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Meanwhile, crime remains the biggest concern for the 8,285 Mexicans surveyed by Statista — 68% — between October 2023 and September 2024.
With reports from El Financiero and Forbes
