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North America / North America · Card 025
Flag shown for Mexico

Mexico

Mexico is a country in North America. Its capital is Mexico City.

Find Mexico

Mexico CityUnited StatesCayman IslandsPanamaNicaraguaHondurasCubaBelizePacific OceanGulf of MexicoAtlantic Ocean
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.

At a glance

Capital
Mexico City
Language guide
Languages spoken & official status
Currency
Mexican peso (MXN)
Population
131.9 million2025 · World Bank
Area
1,964,375 km²758,449.12 square miles
Independence
1821The independence struggle began in 1810.

Mexico in context

North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Mexico City; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Mexico includes high plateaus, major mountain ranges, desert regions and extensive tropical lowlands. The Sierra Madre systems border much of the interior plateau. Coasts face both the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico-Caribbean region.

Copper Canyon represents deeply cut mountain country in the northwest. Sian Ka’an on the Yucatán coast has low limestone terrain, wetlands and marine habitats. These landscapes illustrate the enormous contrast between upland Mexico and the low southeastern peninsula.

Climate & seasons

Mexico ranges from arid northern deserts to tropical southern lowlands. The central highlands are cooler than the coasts because of their elevation.

Climate & water

Latitude, elevation and distance from the sea create strong regional differences. Dry northern areas face different water conditions from humid southern regions. Forest, desert, wetland and reef habitats all occur within the country.

Flag shown for Mexico

Flag

Three equal vertical bands of green (left side), white, and red; Mexico's coat of arms (an eagle with a snake in its beak, perched on a cactus) is centered in the white band

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Languages

Public and official use

Spanish is the most widely used language. Mexico’s law recognizes Spanish and Indigenous languages as national languages with equal validity in their relevant contexts.

Community and regional languages

Indigenous languages include Nahuatl, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Otomí, Totonac and many others. Several of these names cover groups of related varieties.

Sources: Mexico · General Law of Indigenous Linguistic Rights · CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Culture & everyday life

Food, farming and community

Mexican culinary traditions connect growing food with preparing and sharing meals. Maize, beans and chilies are central ingredients, alongside many regional foods. Knowledge includes cultivation, grinding and cooking techniques, with families and community cooks helping pass these practices between generations.

Sources: UNESCO · Traditional Mexican cuisine

History & independence

Mexico’s history includes major Indigenous civilizations and three centuries of Spanish colonial rule. The independence struggle began in 1810 and succeeded in 1821. The Mexican Revolution began in 1910, and the 1917 Constitution became a foundation of the modern state.

  1. The independence struggle begins

  2. Independence from Spain is achieved

  3. A new constitution is adopted

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Economy

Main activities

Manufacturing and services dominate a diversified economy. Vehicles, electronics and machinery connect Mexico to North American supply chains. Agriculture, energy, mining and tourism also contribute, while remittances support many households.

Industry and production

food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Millions of people
131.92025 · millions of people
0.00100.0200.050.8197067.3198082.8199098.62000113.62010126.82020131.92025

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table
Population: source values and plotted units
Year People Millions of people
1970 50,814,953 50.815
1980 67,300,334 67.300
1990 82,820,170 82.820
2000 98,625,552 98.626
2010 113,623,895 113.624
2020 126,799,054 126.799
2025 131,946,900 131.947

Real GDP, 1990–2025

Trillions of constant 2015 US dollars
1.42025 · trillions of constant 2015 US dollars
0.001.02.019902000201020202025

Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.

Sources: World Bank · Real GDP

View data table
Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year Constant 2015 US$ Trillions of constant 2015 US dollars
1990 665,614,206,217 0.666
1991 692,078,394,533 0.692
1992 716,775,997,856 0.717
1993 737,325,961,805 0.737
1994 769,725,007,516 0.770
1995 724,231,953,294 0.724
1996 769,266,848,268 0.769
1997 824,645,415,960 0.825
1998 875,650,385,836 0.876
1999 899,774,820,102 0.900
2000 945,027,051,110 0.945
2001 940,766,441,508 0.941
2002 938,540,700,982 0.939
2003 949,667,522,088 0.950
2004 983,527,357,533 0.984
2005 1,004,311,721,039 1.004
2006 1,052,569,034,984 1.053
2007 1,074,439,987,400 1.074
2008 1,084,575,522,257 1.085
2009 1,016,298,775,543 1.016
2010 1,066,822,388,040 1.067
2011 1,103,564,231,719 1.104
2012 1,142,776,194,746 1.143
2013 1,152,513,808,416 1.153
2014 1,181,370,028,574 1.181
2015 1,213,294,467,654 1.213
2016 1,234,800,029,897 1.235
2017 1,257,912,134,549 1.258
2018 1,282,719,194,726 1.283
2019 1,277,682,078,137 1.278
2020 1,170,944,075,330 1.171
2021 1,241,768,434,190 1.242
2022 1,287,835,026,633 1.288
2023 1,327,845,439,048 1.328
2024 1,345,779,005,032 1.346
2025 1,353,338,023,060 1.353

Human development

The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.

HDI · 20230.789High human developmentRank 81 of 193 · 2025 report

Human Development Index over time

19900.668
20000.712
20100.751
20200.763
20230.789
75.1 yearsLife expectancy at birth
9.3 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+

The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.

Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025

Government

A federal presidential republic. An elected President heads the executive, and Congress comprises the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The states and Mexico City have their own institutions.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Knowledge check

Three questions about Mexico.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

What is the capital of Mexico?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.

Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.

Mexico CityUnited StatesCayman IslandsPanamaNicaraguaHondurasCubaBelizePacific OceanGulf of MexicoAtlantic Ocean