A look at how protests, political violence, and conflict have played out during the pandemic.
- 29.4 Public Health
Directives - 37.6 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 Sep 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 2
- Public gathering restrictions 3
- School closings 3
- Public event cancellations 2
- Testing policy 1
- Emergency healthcare investments/capita $56.93
- Travel restrictions 3
- Tests/1,000 people 9.6
- Contact tracing 1
Financial Response
Mexico had a weak financial response score, with extremely limited stimulus, pulling down median scores on income and debt support.
- Financial stimulus as share of GDP 1.2%
- Income support 0
- Debt forebearance 0
Fact-Based Communication
Mexico’s government is relatively strong in this category, as it has generally communicated fact-based information on COVID-19 (with recent notable exceptions), and allowed a mostly free press.
- Reliance on science/fact based information 1
- Press freedom 1
COVID-19 Status as of Sep 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 64,414
- Death rate per 100K 499.6
- Total cases 599,560
- Cases per 100K 4,650
- Percent of positive tests 53.7
- Change in positivity rates -1.3
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
- Key leaders blame COVID-19 cases on soda: Health Undersecretary López-Gatell and Prime Minister Obradar have claimed that soda consumption has driven up comorbidities, resulting in the high number of COVID-19 cases in Mexico. Read More
- School through TV to avoid education gaps: The Mexican government plans to record comprehensive school lessons for all grade levels from pre-K through high school, and then play them on TV and radio programs to reach those without TV or Internet access, in an effort to limit the education gap during COVID-19. Read More
- Hospital fears driving up COVID-19 deaths: Many fear hospitals in Mexico, and are delaying getting care for COVID-19 until it is often too late for that very reason. Read More
- 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
-
31.2United States 6,031,013
Cases 18,220
Per 1M 183,598
DeathsStill 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.
-
44.6Brazil 3,908,272
Cases 18,387
Per 1M 121,381
DeathsBrazil 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.
-
73.1Canada 128,948
Cases 3,417
Per 1M 9,126
DeathsCanada has a relatively strong score, with poor public health policy countered by a continued reliance on fact-based communication.
-
69.5Argentina 408,413
Cases 9,037
Per 1M 8,498
DeathsArgentina’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.
Further Reading From Foreign Policy
Be the source of actionable insight.
Select one of the subscription options below to read the full Covid-19 Global Response Index. Unlock even more global intelligence with a subscription to FP Insider.
Already an FP Insider? Log In
Looking for group access? Contact us directly
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