We explain what poverty is and what are its main indicators in Mexico. In addition, gender inequalities and their consequences.
What is poverty?
Poverty is lack of material goods to meet basic needs As food, clothing, housing, health and education.
There are different levels of poverty: Indigence occurs when people fail to adequately meet their nutritional needs, and non -destitute poverty and occurs when people manage to feed but cannot meet other basic needs.
There is also the concept of structural poverty, which refers to a type of poverty that is deeply rooted in society and is manifested through persistent and systemic inequalities that affect broad sectors of the population.
The causes of poverty are complex and interconnectedand may include the lack of educational opportunities, discrimination, lack of access to basic services, economic instability, income inequality and gender inequality.
Figures on poverty in Mexico
Poverty in Mexico is measured, according to the laws of this country, based on the income that a family must have to meet needs such as food, health, education, transport and assets and services of habitual consumption. In addition, it considers access to social security and housing.
According to the National Council for Evaluation of Social Development Policy, Poverty in Mexico in the second quarter of 2023 reached 37.8 % of the population. This represents a recovery of almost 9 % compared to 2020, when Covid-19 Pandemia had increased poverty in Mexico to 46.2 %. The federative entities with higher poverty levels in Mexico are Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Veracruz and Zacatecas. Those of better poverty indices are Baja California Sur, Baja California, Chihuahua, Jalisco and Coahuila.
The consequences of poverty in Mexico
Poverty in Mexico affects millions of people. The main consequences suffered by people living in poverty are:
- Poor food and malnutrition. People who live in conditions of extreme poverty face difficulties to feed every day, which can result in long -term health problems, especially in developing children. Malnutrition affects not only physical growth, but also cognitive development, which perpetuates the poverty cycle by limiting education and employment opportunities.
- School dropout. Poverty is also closely related to school dropout and child labor. Children born in poor families have more difficulty sustaining their studies and schooling. As a result, many children are forced to abandon formal education and to enter prematurely to the labor market to contribute to family support. This interruption in education perpetuates the intergenerational transmission of poverty.
- Health problems. The lack of economic resources also has a direct impact on the health of people living in poverty. Diseases transmitted by non -safe water consumption, respiratory infections and other avoidable diseases such as Chagas or HIV evil become more frequent in poor sectors.
- Poor access to housing. The precarious housing conditions (such as the lack of basic sanitation and services) and disasters exposure (such as floods) contribute to the propagation of diseases and affect the mental and physical health of residents. Inadequate housing can also perpetuate the poverty cycle by limiting employment opportunities. In cases of extreme poverty, many people living in homelessness lack home and live in the street.
Poverty in Mexico and gender inequality
Poverty and gender are two dimensions that are related since Women (in Mexico and in the world in general) are usually poorer than men.
The labor participation of women in Mexico is less than that of men and is concentrated in sectors with lower productivity and remuneration, such as trade, personal services and domestic work. Most leaderships and higher salary rank are occupied by menand only 12 % of women are owners of their companies, which means that business property is concentrated almost 90 % by men.
Besides, Women face greater barriers to access credit, social security, education already training and political participation. They also suffer discrimination, harassment and violence in the workplace and family.
Poverty in Mexico and native peoples
Poverty in Mexico particularly affects native peoples, which practically double poverty levels in relation to national average. The latest reports of the Coneval (National Council for the Evaluation of the Social Development Policy of Mexico) indicate that the poverty of Mexican native peoples reaches 69 %, a percentage well above the country’s average.
The causes attributed to this phenomenon are related to the historical marginalization suffered by the native peoples in the country, the lack of access to the land and discrimination and social inequality.
Continue with: indigenous peoples of Mexico
References
- CONEVAL (2019) Poverty in the indigenous population of Mexico (2008 – 2018). National Council for Evaluation of Social Development Policy. https://www.coneval.org.mx/
- CONEVAL (2023) The Coneval presents information regarding labor poverty to the second quarter of 2023. National Council for Evaluation of Social Development Policy. https://www.coneval.org.mx/
- Zepeda, Z. (2023) The gender gap in poverty. The case of Mexico. Forbes Magazine. https://www.forbes.com.mx/
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