Mexico: Country Report | 2024
AI Generated Analysis based on UNHCR Forced Displacement Statisitics.
Executive Summary
Key Trends: Mexico at the Epicenter of a Regional Crisis
A world in turmoil is reshaping the Americas, and Mexico now stands as an expanding hub for protection, transit, and asylum. The total population of concern has reached a staggering 839,000, a figure that underscores the immense scale of regional displacement. This growth is driven by a complex mix of entrenched internal displacement, affecting 386,000 people, and a dramatic surge in new arrivals. While flows from Central America continue, the landscape is being redefined by increasing numbers of people seeking safety from as far as Cuba and Haiti, placing Mexico at the crossroads of multiple displacement crises.
This unprecedented influx is placing Mexico’s national asylum system under historic strain. With new applications surging to over 140,000 annually, the system is struggling to keep pace, creating a cumulative backlog of over 627,000 cases. For hundreds of thousands of vulnerable individuals, this translates into profound uncertainty, with average wait times for a decision now extending to 455 days. This highlights the incredible contribution of Mexico as a host country, but also signals an urgent need for international support to bolster its capacity and uphold the right to seek asylum in a timely manner.
Amid these challenges, a critical solutions gap is widening. While we commend Mexico’s determined efforts to scale up local integration, which saw a four-fold increase in 2023, these pathways are simply not keeping pace with new protection needs. In 2024, for every 40 people granted refugee status or complementary protection, only one was able to access a durable solution. Closing this gap is our shared responsibility. We must move beyond emergency response and invest in sustainable integration programs to ensure that legal protection translates into a genuine opportunity for refugees to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
Population Overview
Mexico: An Expanding Hub for Protection in the Americas
Mexico’s role as a critical country of asylum and transit in the Americas has continued to expand, with the total population of concern reaching 839,000 by mid-2024. Behind these stark numbers lies a complex and evolving story of regional displacement, characterized by significant growth, shifting demographics, and concentrated protection needs.
The data reveals a significant upward trajectory since 2019, primarily driven by a sharp rise in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs)—now stable at 386,000—and other people of concern. More recent trends between 2023 and 2024 highlight a dynamic situation: the number of recognized refugees saw a substantial 23 per cent increase, alongside a 22 per cent rise in other people in need of international protection. This growth was partially offset by a modest 4 per cent decrease in the number of asylum-seekers, suggesting shifts in processing, recognition rates, or regional movement patterns.
The demographic profile of the displaced population in Mexico is indicative of displacement driven by flight for protection and economic survival. The population is characterized by a significant concentration of working-age adults (18-59 years), who constitute over 71 per cent of the total. This demographic structure, with a comparatively smaller base of children, points towards individuals and families undertaking arduous journeys in search of safety and stability.
An analysis of the composition of populations of concern shows a high degree of concentration, with more than half of all individuals falling into just two categories: IDPs and asylum-seekers. Furthermore, the refugee population is heavily influenced by a single major crisis, with individuals from one country of origin accounting for a disproportionately large share of the total. This underscores the profound impact of localized instability on regional displacement flows and highlights the growing pressure on Mexico’s asylum system and host communities.
Demographics
AI Insight: Treemap of Population of Concern types in Mexico, where the total 839,000 individuals are distributed across seven categories, with the two largest groups comprising over half of the total population., This treemap visualizes the breakdown of the 839,000 individuals classified as Populations of Concern to UNHCR in Mexico as of 2024. The chart uses rectangles of varying sizes, where the area of each rectangle is proportional to the size of the population group it represents.
The data is composed of seven distinct population categories with a highly concentrated distribution. A detailed statistical analysis reveals:
- Total Population: 839,000 individuals.
- Largest Category: The single largest group accounts for 266,710 individuals, representing approximately 31.8% of the total.
- Distribution Skew: The mean population size per category is 119,808, while the median is 94,342. This difference indicates that a few large categories significantly outweigh the smaller ones. The top two categories together account for more than 50% of the total population of concern.
- Zero-Value Categories: The data indicates that categories such as ‘Returned refugees’ and ‘Returned IDPs’ have zero individuals, which is expected as Mexico is primarily a country of asylum and transit rather than a country of origin for returns.
In summary, the visualization effectively shows that while there are several types of populations of concern in Mexico, the vast majority are concentrated within a few key groups, reflecting the country’s critical role for asylum-seekers and others in need of international protection in the region.
AI Insight: Population pyramid of the displaced population in Mexico by age and gender, where the largest cohort is working-age adults (18-59), comprising 39.3% of males and 32.3% of females., This population pyramid illustrates the age and gender distribution of 2,094,516 refugees, asylum-seekers, and other persons of concern in Mexico as of 2024. The data features 100% gender disaggregation, providing a complete demographic overview.
The most striking feature of the pyramid is the significant concentration of the population in the working-age adult bracket (18-59 years). This group constitutes the largest portion of the population, with males at 39.3% and females at 32.3% of the total. Combined, they represent 71.6% of all individuals of concern.
In contrast, younger age groups are considerably smaller. The distribution for other age groups shows males consistently representing a slightly higher proportion than females: - 12-17 years: ~4.5% male, ~4.3% female - 5-11 years: ~4.4% male, ~4.0% female - 0-4 years: ~2.9% male, ~2.8% female - 60+ years: ~2.7% male, ~2.8% female
Overall, the population has a gender imbalance, with males accounting for approximately 54% of the total population and females 46%. The pyramid’s shape, characterized by a large bulge in the middle and narrow base, is typical of a population shaped by migration rather than natural growth, suggesting that many individuals of concern are adults who have moved for reasons of work or protection.
Trends Over Time
AI Insight: Column chart of population types in Mexico from 2019 to 2024, in thousands, where the total number of people of concern shows a significant increase, primarily driven by the ‘Internally displaced persons’ and ‘Others of concern to UNHCR’ categories., This column chart presents a year-over-year breakdown of different populations of concern in Mexico from 2019 to 2024, with figures reported in thousands. The data is categorized into six types: Refugees, Asylum-seekers, Internally displaced persons (IDPs), Stateless persons, Venezuelans displaced abroad, and Others of concern to UNHCR.
Statistically, the data covers 36 observations across the six-year period. The number of individuals within any single category ranges from zero to a maximum of 451,532. The overall trend indicates a substantial increase in the total population of concern within Mexico during this period. The growth is most pronounced in two key groups: ‘Internally displaced persons’ (IDPs) and ‘Others of concern to UNHCR’, which consistently represent the largest segments of the population. The number of asylum-seekers also demonstrates a consistent upward trend. In contrast, the ‘Stateless persons’ category remains numerically small and stable across all years. The data explicitly shows zero ‘Returned refugees’ or ‘Returned IDPs’ for the entire 2019-2024 timeframe. The visualization effectively highlights the evolving and escalating humanitarian landscape in Mexico.
AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of the change in population groups in Mexico from 2023 to 2024, where ‘Other people in need of international protection’ saw the largest increase and ‘Asylum-seekers’ saw the only decrease., This horizontal bar chart details the numerical and percentage changes for six population groups of concern to UNHCR in Mexico, comparing data from 2023 to 2024. A central vertical line at zero distinguishes between population increases (bars extending to the right) and decreases (bars extending to the left).
Key changes are as follows:
Increases: - ‘Other people in need of international protection’ had the largest absolute increase, growing by 26,052 individuals. This represents a 22% rise from 118,253 in 2023 to 144,305 in 2024. - ‘Refugees’ experienced the highest percentage growth at 23%, which corresponds to an absolute increase of 9,313 people, raising the total from 40,750 in 2023 to 50,063 in 2024.
Decrease: - ‘Asylum-seekers’ was the only group to see a reduction, decreasing by 9,406 people. This is a 4% decline from 262,411 in 2023 to 253,005 in 2024.
No Change: - Three groups remained stable with zero change between the two years: - ‘IDPs’ (Internally Displaced Persons) at 386,000. - ‘Stateless’ persons at 1,029. - ‘Others of concern’ at 13.
Overall, the data highlights a significant rise in the number of refugees and other protected persons, offset by a moderate decrease in asylum-seekers, while other smaller populations remained constant.
AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of the number of refugees in Mexico by their top 9 countries of origin for 2024, where the leading country of origin contributes a significantly higher number of refugees compared to the others., This horizontal bar chart presents the number of refugees in Mexico in 2024, categorized by the top nine countries of origin, with an additional category for ‘Other’. The data distribution is heavily right-skewed, indicating that one country is the origin for a vastly larger number of refugees than the rest. The highest number of refugees from a single country is 72,914. In contrast, the median value across the categories is 7,736, and the minimum is 710. The mean of 15,084 is more than double the median, further emphasizing the impact of the top country on the overall distribution. In total, the chart accounts for 150,840 refugees from these origin groups. This visualization highlights the primary country of origin for refugees seeking asylum in Mexico.
Geography & Movements
Geography and Movements: The Evolving Dynamics in the Americas
The Americas continue to witness complex and large-scale mixed movements, with Mexico at the epicenter of these dynamics, serving simultaneously as a country of origin, transit, and a major destination for asylum. The data reveals the multifaceted nature of this role, highlighting both concentrated corridors of movement and increasingly diverse populations in need of international protection.
As a country of origin, displacement from Mexico remains overwhelmingly directed towards a single destination. By 2024, the United States hosted nearly 1.5 million forcibly displaced individuals from Mexico. Within this group, UNHCR data records 262,411 refugees and asylum-seekers from Mexico, a figure that starkly contrasts with the small numbers hosted across 25 other countries, most of which count fewer than 115 individuals. This pattern underscores a deeply entrenched north-south displacement corridor, where the vast majority of those seeking safety from Mexico are found in its northern neighbor.
Conversely, Mexico itself has solidified its role as a major host country, with the profile of those seeking asylum within its borders undergoing a significant transformation. An analysis of displacement trends since 2019 shows not only a substantial increase in the overall volume of forcibly displaced populations in Mexico but also a marked shift in their origins. While flows from Central American countries like El Salvador and Guatemala remain significant, recent years have seen a dramatic rise in arrivals from further afield, particularly from Cuba and Haiti.
Behind these stark numbers lies a growing strain on Mexico’s national asylum system and host communities. While the origins of refugees in Mexico are diverse, the humanitarian response is shaped by the needs of predominant nationalities; for instance, refugees from the top country of origin alone number over 72,900. These intersecting trends—a concentrated outflow of its own citizens and a growing, diversifying inflow of people seeking protection—underscore the immense pressure on protection services and the evolving and multifaceted nature of forced displacement across the region.
AI Insight: Choropleth map of destination countries for people displaced from Mexico as of 2024, where the vast majority are located in the United States., This choropleth map displays the global distribution of refugees, asylum-seekers, and other people of concern originating from Mexico, as recorded by UNHCR in 2024. The data covers 26 destination countries, with a significant concentration in North America.
Statistically, the distribution is extremely skewed. The number of individuals per host country ranges from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 262,411. The median value is just 32.5, and 75% of the host countries have 115 or fewer individuals from Mexico. This highlights that while people from Mexico are displaced across several countries, the overwhelming majority reside in a single location.
The map visually represents this disparity through color intensity. The United States is shaded the darkest, corresponding to the maximum value of 262,411 people. Other countries in the Americas and Europe show significantly lighter shading, indicating much smaller populations, typically in the dozens or low hundreds. This pattern underscores the primary north-south migratory and asylum-seeking corridor between Mexico and the United States.
Origin of Displaced Populations
AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of the number of refugees in Mexico by their top 9 countries of origin for 2024, where the leading country of origin accounts for over 72,900 people, a number substantially greater than the others., This horizontal bar chart displays the population of refugees in Mexico as of 2024, broken down by the top nine countries of origin, plus an ‘Others’ category. The data reveals a highly right-skewed distribution. The leading country of origin contributes a maximum of 72,914 refugees. The median value for the categories is 7,736 people, which is significantly lower than the mean of 15,084. This discrepancy is caused by the outsized number of refugees from the top country. The standard deviation is very high at 21,924, further confirming the wide variance in population sizes across the different countries of origin. The lowest count among the top source countries is 710. For UNHCR, this visualization underscores that while Mexico hosts refugees from diverse origins, the humanitarian response must be scaled to address the specific, large-scale needs of the predominant nationality.
AI Insight: Alluvial chart of the origins of forcibly displaced populations in Mexico from 2019 to 2025, where the overall volume has increased and the composition of nationalities has significantly shifted over time., This alluvial chart illustrates the changing composition of forcibly displaced populations in Mexico by country of origin for the years 2019 through 2025. The chart displays data for nine distinct countries of origin. Each colored flow represents a nationality, and its width is proportional to the number of people (in thousands) for a given year. The statistical profile shows a wide range in population sizes, from 2,851 to a peak of 262,411 individuals from a single origin in one year, with a mean of approximately 73,817. The visualization demonstrates a notable trend: while flows from Central American countries like El Salvador and Guatemala remain significant, there is a substantial increase in the proportion and absolute numbers of people from other nations, particularly Cuba and Haiti, in the more recent years. This shift highlights Mexico’s evolving role from a transit country to a primary destination for asylum seekers from a more diverse range of backgrounds, reflecting complex and changing displacement dynamics in the Americas.
Destination
AI Insight: Vertical bar chart of the top 10 destination countries for forcibly displaced people from Mexico as of 2024, where the United States is the primary destination, hosting nearly 1.5 million people., This bar chart illustrates the ten main destination countries for individuals forcibly displaced from Mexico as of 2024. The data reveals a highly concentrated displacement pattern, with one country hosting the vast majority of this population.
The United States is the primary country of asylum, with a total of 1,489,244 individuals. This figure is a significant outlier, vastly exceeding the numbers in all other top destinations. Following the U.S., there is a substantial drop to the second-ranked country, which hosts approximately 251,400 people.
The remaining eight countries host significantly fewer individuals. The median number of displaced people across these top ten destinations is just 1,054, highlighting the extreme right-skewed distribution. The lowest number of displaced people in this top-ten list is 453. The mean of approximately 288,000 is heavily inflated by the top value, making the median a more representative measure for the majority of countries shown.
