In a previous “Mexico in Numbers” article, we reported on Intercensal Survey data that showed that almost 1.2 million foreign-born residents lived in Mexico in 2025.
Our focus today is on people who emigrated from Mexico to another country. Once again, the data comes from the 2025 Intercensal Survey results report, which was published by the national statistics agency INEGI in September. It looks at emigration from October 2020 to October 2025.
The emigrants counted by INEGI include Mexicans and people from other countries who were living in Mexico, but emigrated between October 2020 and October 2025. Migrants from many countries have spent time living in Mexico before moving on to another country, often the United States — though INEGI doesn’t specify destination countries of emigrants in the Intercensal Survey results report.
How many people emigrated from Mexico between 2020 and 2025?
INEGI reported that 1,259,978 (almost 1.26 million) people emigrated from Mexico between October 2020 and October 2025.
That number represents an increase of 56.95% compared to the preceding five-year period, during which 802,807 people emigrated from Mexico.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden was in office for most of the October 2020 to October 2025 period. Current U.S. President Donald Trump was in office for most of the preceding five-year period. Biden’s border policies were generally more permissive than those of Trump, although he imposed stricter limits on asylum late in his four-year presidency, causing illegal crossings into the U.S. to fall.
How many emigrants returned to Mexico after leaving the country?
INEGI reported that 150,752 emigrants returned to Mexico after leaving the country between October 2020 and October 2025.
That figure represents just under 12% of all people who emigrated in the five-year period.
INEGI reported that 1,022,728 (1.02 million) people had not returned to Mexico after leaving the country between October 2020 and October 2025.
That figure represents 81.2% of all people who emigrated in the period.
INEGI noted in the Intercensal Survey results report that the number of emigrants who remained abroad and the number who returned to Mexico don’t add up to the total number of emigrants in the period between October 2020 and October 2025 because there is a third “not specified” category. A total of 86,498 emigrants fall into that category.
Which states were the largest sources of emigrants?
More than half of all emigrants were living in just 10 Mexican states before leaving the country between October 2020 and October 2025. Those states are:
- Guanajuato: The source of 7.5% of all emigrants between October 2020 and October 2025
- Michoacán: 6.8%
- Veracruz: 6.4%
- Puebla: 6.2%
- México state: 6.1%
- Oaxaca: 5.7%
- Jalisco: 5.2%
- Chiapas: 4.7%
- Guerrero: 4.2%
- Hidalgo: 3.7%
The 10 aforementioned states provided 56.5% of all emigrants from Mexico between October 2020 and October 2025.
The five states that provided the lowest number of emigrants in the five-year period are Baja California Sur (0.3% of the total); Campeche (0.5%); Quintana Roo (0.6%); Colima (0.6%); and Tabasco (0.7%).
Men accounted for over 70% of emigrants between 2020 and 2025
INEGI reported that men accounted for 70.4% of emigrants from Mexico between October 2020 and October 2025, while women accounted for 29.6%.
Over one in five emigrants — 22.5% — were aged between 20 and 24 when they left Mexico.
After the group aged 20-24, the next largest cohorts of emigrants were those aged:
- 25-29: 19.5% of all emigrants
- 15-19: 15%
- 30-34: 14.1%
Thus, 71.1% of all emigrants from Mexico between October 2020 and October 2025 were aged between 15 and 34 when they left the country.
More Intercensal Survey coverage from MND
Explore Mexico News Daily’s full Intercensal Survey coverage via the links below.
- Mexico’s population surpasses 130 million even as fertility rate falls
- Mexico’s fastest-growing states aren’t the ones having the most children
- Mexico in Numbers: How common are Indigenous languages in your state?
- Mexico in Numbers: Which states have the most welfare beneficiaries?
- Mexico in Numbers: How many foreigners live in Mexico?
- Opinion: What about that demographic dividend?
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
