Top 12 social problems in Mexico

List of the most important social problems in Mexico: corruption, insecurity, employment...

Mexico is a country of great beauty, full of dreamlike landscapes and with a great ecological and cultural richness.

In this country we can see from the ruins of the ancient Heart of the Mayan empire (Chichen Itza) or Mexica (Tenochtitlan), to biosphere reserves as relevant as the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. It also has a long history and tradition, with a wide cultural diversity and a population density that makes it one of the ten most densely populated countries in the world.

However, the United Mexican States also suffers from a series of social problems that greatly harm its inhabitants. Throughout this article we will look at some of the main social problems in MexicoThe most violent and dangerous countries in the world", extracted on the basis of surveys such as the National Survey of Government Quality and Impact, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Institute for Strategic Studies or institutions such as UNICEF or the UN.

Main social problems in Mexico

Among the main and most relevant social problems present in Mexico, since approximately 2015 the following stand out as the most relevant.

1. Insecurity and crime

Insecurity is one of the most well known problems in this country, being considered as the greatest cause for concern for the inhabitants of Mexico, with some of the country's cities and the country has some of the most dangerous cities in the world. The main reasons for this are delinquency and organized crime, especially drug trafficking.

2. Poverty

Another of Mexico's major social problems, and probably one that is at the root of most of the other issues on this list, is the high level of poverty. Although it seems that over the years the country's economy has improved, the fact is that a large part of the population a large part of the population (almost half of the population in 2013) is below the poverty line, especially in rural areas.especially in rural areas.

3. Inequality

A key factor in Mexico's social problems lies in inequality, or rather, in the inequalities that exist among citizens in the country. inequalities that exist among citizens..

There is a great inequality of opportunities, with inequalities based on gender (women earn less and have more difficulties in accessing employment), territory (inhabitants of different regions have different possibilities for development) or even migration (citizens who migrate and return find that they have lost many of the opportunities and advantages they previously enjoyed). As in other countries, socioeconomic level is also a relevant factor when it comes to having or not having access to different goods, services and development possibilities.

4. Corruption

Corruption is another of the factors that most concern the country's inhabitants and that most harm their daily lives, being present in different strata of society and participating in the aforementioned citizen insecurity. In this sense, the OECD reports that Mexico is the OECD country with the highest level of corruption in the world.. Likewise, this affects to a great extent the existence of a great distrust towards public institutions and political parties.

5. Justice

The confluence of crime and corruption, together with the high level of distrust in public institutions, means that Mexico has severe problems with regard to the correct exercise of the judiciary, being considered the country with the second worst administration of this branch of government. the second country with the worst administration of this power in Latin America..

6. Unemployment

Lack of employment is also a relevant social problem in this Latin American country, with 3.5% of the population registered as unemployed in the first quarter of the year. However, it should be noted that this problem is much greater than it seems from this figure, taking into account that much of the work that exists is precarious. much of the work that exists is precarious and of short duration..

7. Difficulty in access to food

Considering the high level of poverty and the fact that this is one of the most populated countries in the world, one of the difficulties faced by many Mexican citizens (especially in rural areas) is the problem of access to sufficient and balanced food. There are worrying levels of malnutrition even in urban areas, with special emphasis on child malnutrition..

8. Water scarcity

Another of Mexico's problems is the increasing scarcity of water. About 10% of the population does not have access to safe drinking water, especially in rural areas and in the poorest areas of the country.especially in rural areas and those with fewer resources. In addition, much of the country's water network is very old and in poor condition, and much of the water is lost before it reaches its destination. And even in the areas where it does arrive, its quality and quantity are inadequate, given that the country is on the verge of crisis.

9. Low quality public education

According to the ENCIG, another of Mexicans' major concerns is that education, although free and compulsory, lacks a sufficiently powerful infrastructure to offer quality education.

Although the state invests heavily in this area and teachers are perceived as competent, it is still a matter of concern that, for example, almost half of the adult population lacks secondary education..

On the other hand, schooling for children under 4 years of age has increased dramatically in recent years, and surveys show that education is increasingly valued by the country's inhabitants.

10. Discrimination

Despite enjoying a wide cultural variety, various agencies have observed that there is a very low level of social inclusion with regard to ethnic minorities. social inclusion of ethnic minorities, including the descendants of indigenous peoples.including the descendants of indigenous peoples.

11. Machismo and violence against women

Although there is equal treatment of both sexes in education, Mexican society continues to be largely patriarchal and traditional, perpetuating stereotypes and gender roles.

One of the major social problems in Mexico is gender violence, especially in terms of physical and sexual violence.. In this regard, it is also worth mentioning that there are differences in the socioeconomic consideration of both sexes, with women having more unemployment and being less well paid than their male counterparts.

12. Health system

Another of Mexico's social problems can be found in the lack of sufficient public health coverage for all, especially considering the great disparity in economic possibilities and the scarcity of resources that a large part of the population has. A large part of the population chooses to opt for private health care due to the great deficiencies of the public health care system. due to the great deficiencies of the public health system, which is perceived as not very adaptable to the variations in needs. These problems are also visible in the mental health sector, with many people unable to access professional psychological care.

Bibliographical references:

• Impacto Social Consultores (2017). what are the main social problems for Mexicans? [Online]. Available at: http://www.impactosocialconsultores.com/blog/2017/4/19/cules-son-los-principales-problemas-sociales-para-los-mexicanos.
• National Institute of Statistics and Geography (2018). Encuesta Nacional de Calidad e Impacto Gubernamental (ENCIG) 2017. Main results. [Online]. Available at: https://www.inegi.org.mx/contenidos/programas/encig/2017/doc/encig2017_principales_resultados.pdf.
• Red de Estudios sobre Desigualdades de El Colegio de México (2018). Inequalities in Mexico/2018. [Online]. Available at: https://desigualdades.colmex.mx/informe-desigualdades-2018.pdf.