41 Overall Score

Mexico

  • 26.1 Public Health
    Directives
  • 28.3 Financial
    Response
  • 68 Fact-Based
    Communication
  • 26.1 Public Health
    Directives
  • 28.3 Financial
    Response
  • 68 Fact-Based
    Communication

Mexico's score has deteriorated over time, due primarily to its extremely weak financial response and relatively weak public health policy, including very limited testing.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Low numbers of hospital beds and poor access to quality healthcare resulted in Mexico being poorly prepared for COVID-19.

  • Debt/GDP ratio 35.4%
  • GDP/capita $21,363
  • Gini coefficient (out of 100) 45.4
  • Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 11
  • Healthcare access score (out of 100) 62.6
  • Hospital beds/1,000 People 10.2

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Aug 1.)
26.1

Public Health Directives

Mexico’s low policy score was driven by extremely limited testing and very few emergency healthcare funds.

  • Stay at home order 0
  • Public gathering restrictions 3
  • School closings 3
  • Public event cancellations 2
  • Testing policy 1
  • Emergency healthcare investments/capita $56.62
  • Travel restrictions 3
  • Tests/1,000 people 0.1
  • Contact tracing 1
28.3

Financial Response

Mexico has a weak financial response score, driven primarily by a very minimal stimulus package.

  • Financial stimulus as share of GDP 1.2%
  • Income support 0
  • Debt forebearance 0
68

Fact-Based Communication

Mexico’s government is relatively strong in this category, as it has mostly engaged in science and facts on COVID-19, and allowed a mostly free press.

  • Reliance on science/fact based information 1
  • Press freedom 1

COVID-19 Status as of Aug 1

Mexico has a relatively weak score in this category, with a high death rate and extremely high positivity rate, suggesting that it is only testing the sickest people and may be missing many positive cases.

  • Total deaths 46,688
  • Death rate per 100K 362.1
  • Total cases 424,637
  • Cases per 100K 3,294
  • Percent of positive tests 55
Case Trend Line
Daily cases Level 2 Lockdown
Date Status New Cases/1M
1 Apr 13 Those who can't telework are allowed back to work (especially those in construction and manufacturing) 2.79
2 May 18 300 municipalities are allowed to start reopening; automotive, construction, and mining sectors reopen 15.73
3 Jun 01 Restrictions begin easing, based on the situation in each state (green/yellow/orange/red coding); as of early August, 16 states are red (maximum restrictions), and 15 are orange 24.43

Differentiating Factors

  • Public salary cuts fund COVID-19 response: President Obrador chose not to raise public debt to mobilize emergency funding, instead raising $26 billion by cutting the salaries of top-level bureaucrats, and offering loans to 3 million businesses. Read More
  • Conflict between central and state governments: The pandemic has exposed conflict between the federal and state governments, with 18 Mexican states imposing stricter measures than the federal government, including stay-at-home orders, mandatory face mask use, and fines for social gatherings. In early May, nine governors announced they would not follow the federal timetable for re-opening, and instead make their own assessment of the situation locally. Read More
  • Fears over COVID-19 spread from USA: States on the border with the USA have recorded some of the highest infection rates in the country, leading to Mexico tightening border security to prevent the entry of American holidaymakers. Read More
Compared with Other Western Hemisphere Countries
  • 27.7
    United States 4,562,037
    Cases     13,783
    Per 1M     153,314
    Deaths

    Still battling widespread COVID-19 cases and deaths, which were exacerbated by the former administration's limited use of facts and science, limited emergency healthcare spending, and limited debt relief, the Biden administration, by contrast, is taking aggressive action to combat the virus, although it may take time for the score to reflect these changes.

  • 42.3
    Brazil 2,662,485
    Cases     12,526
    Per 1M     92,475
    Deaths

    Brazil has a relatively weak score, primarily due to its poor public health policies, especially its very low levels of testing, coupled with President Bolsonaro’s spreading of misinformation about the virus.

  • 77.7
    Canada 116,298
    Cases     3,081
    Per 1M     8,935
    Deaths

    Canada has a relatively strong score, with poor public health policy countered by a continued reliance on fact-based communication.

  • 69.5
    Argentina 185,360
    Cases     4,101
    Per 1M     3,466
    Deaths

    Argentina’s strong policy score is mainly due to its strong political response, characterized by clear, fact-based communication and regular press briefings by President Fernandez.

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New Zealand

Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

  • Debt to GDP ratio
  • Infant mortality rates
  • Hospital beds per 1,000 people
  • Gini coefficients measuring inequality
  • Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

  • Stay-at home orders
  • School-closing policy
  • Public-gathering restrictions
  • Cancellation of public events
  • Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
  • Emergency healthcare spending per capita
  • Travel restrictions
  • Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

  • Stimulus package as a share of GDP
  • Income support
  • Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

  • Instances of misinformation by leadership
  • Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

  • Death rates per 1 million
  • Case rates per 1 million