Mexico reduces poverty to 29.6% with social programs and salaries

The national anti-poverty strategy shows historic progress, but structural challenges persist.

Analysis of the impact of social programs on poverty reduction

The Senate of the Republic assured that the Income Law 2026 will include sufficient resources to finance key social initiatives in the fight against poverty, according to statements by Senator Guadalupe Chavira (Morena). Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) reveal a decrease from 43.2% to 29.6% in poverty rates between 2016 and 2024, equivalent to 13.4 million people. This achievement is attributed to three interrelated factors: the real increase in minimum wages, direct monetary transfers and the reorientation of public policy under the so-called Fourth Transformation.

Historical and comparative review of strategies

The legislator criticized neoliberal programs such as Pronasol and Oportunidades, pointing out their “electoralist approach” and lack of attention to the structural causes of poverty. In contrast, he highlighted that the current schemes—constitutionalized and without exclusions—prioritize formal jobs, regional infrastructure and universal coverage. An example is the Development Poles for Well-being (Podebis) model, which concentrates million-dollar investments in the south-southeast, a historically marginalized region.

RelatedMexico registers historic reduction in poverty during Q4

The forum “New perspectives on the poverty and inequality SDGs”, held this Tuesday in the Senate, analyzed how the Plan México could release additional funds to reach the goal of one trillion pesos. Experts agreed that, although progress is significant, challenges persist such as:

  • Labor informality (56.1% according to Inegi)
  • Regional gaps (Chiapas and Guerrero with extreme poverty >20%)
  • Fiscal sustainability of the programs

Future prospects under the new administration

Senator Chavira trusted that President Claudia Sheinbaum will consolidate these achievements through industrial and technological development poles. However, independent economists warn that annual economic growth (2.1% in 2024) could limit the scope of the goals without deep reforms in productivity and tax collection.

“Poverty reduction is not linear,” Chavira explained. “It requires investment in basic education, preventive health and access to credit for microenterprises, not just transfers”. Data from the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (Coneval) supports this vision: 38% of households benefiting from social programs still face food vulnerability.

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Imports of Mexican cattle to the US resume

Following a health agreement, the US will reopen the port of Douglas, Arizona, for Mexican cattle.

President Claudia Sheinbaum reported that the United States will resume importing Mexican cattle starting the last week of August. The decision came after an official communication from the US Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins.

Reopening schedule

The reopening will begin at the border port of Agua Prieta, Sonora, linked to the Douglas crossing, Arizona. August 24 will be the first date of operation. Later, two additional points will be enabled in Chihuahua, subject to compliance with the Joint Action Plan against screwworm.

Sheinbaum instructed federal agencies to accelerate coordination with US authorities. He highlighted the work of the Secretary of Agriculture, Julio Berdegué, and the director of Senasica, Columba López, to strengthen health measures.

  • The animals will enter with complete inspections to verify that they do not show signs of the plague.
  • Later, the opening of the ports of Santa Teresa and Columbus, in New Mexico, will be evaluated.

The president described the news as positive for Mexican ranchers, who for months contained the spread of the screwworm. He appreciated Rollins’ willingness to maintain an institutional relationship.

Rollins, for his part, stated that the protection of the US livestock industry remains a priority and that the temporary closure of crossings was necessary to reduce risks. The reopening is possible thanks to binational collaboration.

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More than eight million apocryphal cigarettes seized in Manzanillo

Joint operation in Manzanillo detected shipment of counterfeit cigarettes.

Operational in the port of Manzanillo

Federal authorities seized more than eight million allegedly apocryphal cigarettes in the port of Manzanillo, Colima. The operation was coordinated by agencies of the security cabinet and the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM).

Personnel from the ANAM and the Administrative Unit of the Manzanillo Customs detected inconsistencies in an operation to import cigarettes from abroad. This led to a specialized review.

As a result of the inspections, the authorities located 8 million 436 presumably counterfeit cigarettes. The merchandise was insured with the support of the Secretary of the Navy (Semar).

The ANAM reported that this type of operations are part of the permanent mechanisms of operational intelligence, risk management and strategic analysis. The objective is to strengthen security in foreign trade operations and detect documentary irregularities or goods of illicit origin.

The comprehensive analysis of the operation made it possible to reinforce documentary traceability, operational review and validation of commercial profiles. The authorities maintain surveillance at entry points into the country to combat illegal trade.

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Perception of insecurity drops to 59.8%: Sheinbaum

Perception of insecurity in Mexico drops to 59.8%, the lowest figure since 2018.

ENSU results

President Claudia Sheinbaum reported that the perception of insecurity in urban areas fell to 59.8% in June 2026, according to the National Urban Public Security Survey (ENSU) of the INEGI. In December 2025 it was 63.8%, which represents six consecutive months of decline.

“The important thing here is that we are giving results in the security indicators and people are beginning to notice this decrease,” he said during the morning conference in Cuernavaca, Morelos.

Historical comparison

Sheinbaum recalled that in December 2018, under the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the perception of insecurity was 73.7%. The previous lowest point was reached in September 2024 at 58.6%. The president attributed the improvement to the National Security Strategy.

The ENSU measures citizens’ feeling of insecurity in their environment. Recent data reflects a positive trend, although the challenge remains to maintain the reduction in crime. The authorities continue to implement actions to consolidate these results.

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