Latin America

Mexico

Mexico, the third largest country in Latin America, is marked by extremes of wealth and poverty. Despite its challenges, it remains a key economic and political force in the region, with a market economy closely tied to the United States.

Overview

Population: 132,8 million
Main Religion: Christianity
Christians: 126,9 million, 95.5%

Examples of our work

Biblical training

Pray

Pray for the protection of Christians vulnerable to hostility from criminal gangs
That leaders of indigenous groups will see the value of Christians in their communities
That God will continue to strengthen the faith of our persecuted family in Mexico.

Regions Latin America

Introduction

Mexico, country of southern North America and the third largest country in Latin America. Mexican society is characterised by extremes of wealth and poverty, with a limited middle class wedged between an elite cadre of landowners and investors on the one hand and masses of rural and urban poor on the other. But in spite of the challenges it faces as a developing country, Mexico is one of the chief economic and political forces in Latin America. Mexico has a developing market economy that is strongly tied to that of the United States, with its major markets and sources of capital. The Mexican economy is one of the more influential in Latin America and has grown rapidly since the 1970s. However, the country’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) remains far below that of the United States. The Mexican economy depends largely on services—including trade, transportation, finance, and government—which account for about two-thirds of GDP.

Politics

Mexico is ruled by President Andres Manuel López Obrador and has been labelled partly free by Freedom House. The country scored 60/100 on the 2024 index. Mexico has been an electoral democracy since 2000, and alternation in power between parties is routine at both the federal and state levels. However, the country suffers from severe rule of law deficits that limit full citizen enjoyment of political rights and civil liberties. Violence perpetrated by organised criminals, corruption among government officials, human rights abuses by both state and nonstate actors, and rampant impunity are among the most visible of Mexico’s many governance challenges.

State of religious freedom

Although the majority of Mexico’s population is Christian, many believers live in danger of persecution, particularly from criminal gangs and drug cartels. Christians who speak out against their activities, or who are involved in community work or evangelism, are deemed a threat – which makes them a target. In some indigenous communities, those who decide to abandon ancestral and traditional beliefs to follow Jesus face fines, incarceration and forced displacement.