In February 2026, I received an unexpected invitation from the organizing team of HackODS-UNAM to participate as a mentor in the mentorship rounds of their first data hackathon. During our initial conversation, they explained they were looking for individuals with analytical minds and experience working with data. My role would be to review team dashboards and provide recommendations on their data stories.
I confess that I hesitated at first. I am not an expert on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) topic, and I questioned whether I was the right person for this role. However, after a quick search, I discovered that the SDGs are 17 goals adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 to seek peace and prosperity worldwide. That same day, I reflected on my qualifications and ultimately decided that participating in HackODS would be an excellent opportunity to learn more about the SDGs and how they connect to data-driven research.
This decision was also influenced by conversations with colleagues about the funding challenges faced by universities and research institutes. We often discuss two main barriers:
- Limited funding success: Many researchers struggle to secure grants from SECIHTI or local government bodies because their projects are not well-aligned with regional or national SDGs.
- Lack of alignment knowledge: Some colleagues have confessed they avoid applying to SECIHTI calls because they don’t know how to effectively align their academic research with the SDG framework.
In this post, I will share an overview of Mexico’s progress toward the 2030 Agenda, based on indicators from the SDG Information System (SIODS). My hope is that this analysis will help fellow students and researchers align their research projects for the next SECIHTI call and better understand how their work can contribute to global development goals.
Quick indicator overview: Mexico in SDGs (2023-2024)
The following table provides a snapshot of Mexico’s performance across the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, based on the most recent data from the SDG Information System (SIODS) and national statistical sources. Each indicator reflects a key metric for measuring progress toward the 2030 Agenda.
Understanding the Indicators
To help you interpret this data for your own research, here’s what each metric represents and why it matters:
| SDG | Key Indicator | Mexico Data | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: No Poverty | Multidimensional poverty population | 29.6% | ⬆️ Improving |
| 2: Zero Hunger | Moderate/severe food insecurity | ~26% of households | ➡️ Stagnant |
| 3: Good Health & Well-being | Life expectancy at birth | ~75.2 years | ⬆️ Slow improvement |
| 4: Quality Education | PISA Mathematics score | 395 (OECD average: 472) | ⬇️ Lagging behind |
| 5: Gender Equality | Daily registered femicides | ~10 cases/day | ➡️ No improvement |
| 6: Clean Water & Sanitation | Households with piped water (public network) | ~89% | ⬆️ Slow improvement |
| 7: Affordable & Clean Energy | National electricity coverage | ~99% | ✅ Target achieved |
| 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth | Labor informality rate | ~55% | ➡️ Stagnant |
| 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure | R&D investment (% of GDP) | ~0.3% | ⬇️ Lagging behind |
| 10: Reduced Inequalities | Gini coefficient | ~0.43 | ➡️ Slow improvement |
| 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities | Urban population in informal settlements | ~19% | ➡️ Stagnant |
| 12: Responsible Consumption & Production | Municipal solid waste recycling rate | ~9–11% | ⬆️ Slow improvement |
| 13: Climate Action | Greenhouse gas emissions (MtCO₂e) | ~683 MtCO₂e | ⬆️ Increasing |
| 14: Life Below Water | Marine protected area coverage | ~22% of exclusive economic zone | ⬆️ Advancing |
| 15: Life on Land | Estimated annual deforestation | ~100–200 thousand hectares/year | ⬇️ Critical |
| 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions | Annual intentional homicides | ~32,000 | ➡️ No improvement |
| 17: Partnerships for the Goals | SIODS indicators with updated data | >200 indicators | ✅ Institutional progress |
How to Use This Data in Your Research
This overview is particularly useful for researchers preparing proposals for funding calls like SECIHTI. Here are some practical tips:
For alignment with SDGs:
- Focus on lagging indicators: Goals 4 (Education), 9 (Innovation), and 15 (Life on Land) show significant challenges-research addressing these gaps may be more competitive.
- Leverage improving areas: Goals 1 (Poverty) and 7 (Energy) show progress, your research could build on existing momentum.
- Address stagnant areas: Goals 8 (Informality) and 16 (Justice) remain unchanged. Innovative approaches here are valuable.
Research implications:
- Goal 4 (Education): The PISA gap (395 vs. OECD 472) suggests opportunities for research on educational quality and accessibility.
- Goal 9 (Innovation): The low R&D investment (0.3% GDP) indicates a need for research on innovation ecosystems and funding mechanisms.
- Goal 13 (Climate): Rising emissions despite climate commitments highlight the urgency of solutions-oriented research.
The Big Picture: Mexico’s Status Across the 17 SDGs (2023-2024)
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Mexico’s progress and challenges on each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, based on the most recent national data and SIODS indicators.
SDG 1: No Poverty
In 2024, Mexico reached its lowest historical level of multidimensional poverty: 29.6% of the population (approximately 37.3 million people), representing a reduction of 12.3 percentage points since 2018. Extreme poverty dropped to 5.3%. However, stark regional disparities persist: Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca concentrate the highest percentages, with rates that can quadruple those in northern Mexico. The main social deprivation remains access to social security (nearly half the population), followed by access to healthcare (one in three people). Progress is largely attributed to wage policy minimum wage increases rather than social transfers, making poverty reduction fragile without consolidated formal and well paid employment.
SDG 2: Zero Hunger
Despite improvements in income-based poverty indicators, food insecurity remains a critical challenge in Mexico. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened access to nutritious food, and child malnutrition rates have regressed in states with high marginalization. At the same time, the country faces the paradox of double nutritional burden: high prevalence of obesity and diabetes coexisting with malnutrition in rural and indigenous areas. Agricultural production and dependence on imported corn for human consumption are structural vulnerabilities; SIODS data indicates that the zero hunger goal requires policies that articulate sustainable agriculture, food distribution, and social protection.
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
Mexico has achieved significant historical progress in health-reduction in infant mortality, control of infectious diseases, increased life expectancy at birth (~75 years) but faces deep challenges in universal access. After the health system restructuring (creation of IMSS Bienestar and elimination of Seguro Popular), a significant portion of the population reported difficulties in medication availability and specialized care. Non-communicable diseases-diabetes, hypertension, obesity are the leading cause of mortality and concentrate the greatest burden on the public system. The COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in over 330,000 registered deaths, exposed structural fragilities in the health system, especially in states with lower medical personnel density and hospital equipment.
SDG 4: Quality Education
The PISA 2022 results placed Mexico at its lowest recent scores in mathematics, reading, and science, below the OECD average. Educational lag is one of the main deprivations in Mexico’s multidimensional poverty measurement. While enrollment in basic education is nearly universal, school dropout in secondary and high school remains elevated, with critical gaps between rural and indigenous zones compared to urban areas; in some southern states, secondary school dropout rates exceed 10%. The pandemic caused learning losses estimated at least one school year, with more pronounced effects in lower income households, and the digital divide for distance education exposed deep inequalities.
SDG 5: Gender Equality
Mexico faces a gender violence crisis recognized internationally: femicides around 10 registered cases daily in recent years and domestic violence persist despite existing legal frameworks. The gender gap in labor participation remains: women represent only 45% of the workforce and earn on average 15-20% less than their male counterparts in equivalent positions. In political representation, there have been notable advances thanks to gender parity in candidacies, with Congress exceeding 50% women legislators; however, formal parity has not eliminated political harassment or the disproportionate burden of unpaid domestic work that falls on women.
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Although Mexico has extensive water infrastructure, access to safely managed drinking water is unequal: rural, indigenous communities, and peri-urban zones with high marginalization still face intermittent supply, poor quality, or complete absence of service. Water stress is critical in the northern and central regions (overexploited basins, deficit aquifers), while the south records relative abundance but with distribution and sanitation problems. River and water body contamination by industrial and agricultural discharges without treatment is documented in basins like Lerma-Santiago and Atoyac. SIODS records indicate that there are still municipalities, mainly in Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guerrero without adequate coverage of water and sanitation services.
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Mexico has a national electricity coverage of nearly 99%, representing a historical achievement; however, access to clean cooking technologies remains insufficient in rural communities dependent on firewood and charcoal. The greater challenge is the transition to renewable sources: recent energy policy has prioritized strengthening PEMEX and CFE with fossil fuels, slowing solar, wind, and geothermal projects. The share of renewables in the electricity matrix has remained stagnant, moving away from Paris Agreement goals. The energy digital gap, lack of reliable electricity for productive and educational activities persists in indigenous and highly marginalized localities.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
The Mexican labor market recovered from the pandemic in terms of employment, but labor informality affecting more than 55% of the workforce remains the main obstacle to decent work. Sustained minimum wage increases (which nearly tripled in real value between 2018 and 2024) positively impacted labor poverty, although productivity did not grow at the same pace. Employment inequalities by region are marked: southern states record higher informality rates and less access to social security. Child labor, although decreased, persists in seasonal agricultural activities in states like Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas, especially in indigenous communities.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Mexico stands out in the Latin American context for its manufacturing and export integration, especially in the automotive, electronics, and aerospace chains but research and development (R&D) investment does not exceed 0.3% of GDP, well below the 1% threshold recommended. Digital connectivity is a critical gap: according to SIODS data, more than 30% of Mexican households do not have internet access, with the deepest divide in rural and indigenous zones. The nearshoring process (relocation of companies toward Mexico) represents an opportunity to boost SDG 9, but requires logistics, energy, and human capital formation infrastructure that is still insufficient in many regions.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Despite poverty reduction, structural inequality in Mexico remains one of the most persistent challenges. The Gini coefficient is around 0.43, and gaps between states are extreme: poverty in Chiapas can be six times higher than in Baja California. Ethnic and gender inequalities overlap with territorial ones: indigenous, Afro-Mexican, and people with disabilities present significantly worse welfare indicators across almost all dimensions. Social transfer programs (Bienestar, Sembrando Vida, Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro) have had redistributive effects, although academic debate indicates that their design and targeting still do not guarantee sustained reduction in opportunity inequality.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Mexico is a predominantly urban country: 80% of the population lives in cities, many of which have grown in a disorderly and unplanned manner. Irregular settlements in risk zones, automobile dependent urban mobility, air pollution in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area and other megacities, and poor management of solid waste are documented problems. SIODS indicates that several Mexican cities have lagging access to efficient public transportation, safe public spaces, and accessible infrastructure for people with disabilities. The 2017 earthquakes and recurrent hurricanes on the Pacific and Gulf coasts demonstrate the urgent need for more resilient cities and effective territorial planning.
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Mexico generates approximately 102,000 tons of municipal solid waste per day, of which only between 9% and 11% is formally recycled, according to data from INECC and INEGI. Food waste along the chain from production to household represents between 30% and 37% of food produced. The circular economy is still incipient: few municipalities have systems for source separation, composting plants, or recycling infrastructure. The General Law for the Prevention and Integrated Management of Waste exists, but its application is fragmented. In the business sector, extended producer responsibility practices advance slowly, and the consumption of single-use plastics—although restricted in several states—remains a significant environmental pressure.
SDG 13: Climate Action
Mexico is the 14th largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) globally and ranks among the 20 most vulnerable countries to climate change. Extreme weather events like category 5 hurricanes, prolonged droughts in the north, floods in the southeast have intensified and have growing economic and human impacts. The General Climate Change Law and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) establish emissions reduction targets, but implementation pace is insufficient compared to Paris Agreement goals. Recent energy policy, centered on fossil fuels, has generated tensions with climate commitments. SIODS data indicates that deforestation and ecosystem degradation remain emission sources requiring urgent attention.
SDG 14: Life Below Water
Mexico has one of the world’s most extensive coastlines over 11,000 km and exceptionally biodiverse marine ecosystems: the Gulf of California, Caribbean coral reefs, and Pacific mangroves. However, plastic and waste pollution in beaches and coastal zones, overfishing of key species, and deterioration of coral reefs due to ocean warming represent growing threats. SIODS documents setbacks in mangrove coverage and the health of Riviera Maya coral reefs. The expansion of marine protected areas and strengthening of community artisanal fishing are identified advances, although fishery inspection and surveillance remain insufficient compared to the scale of the problem.
SDG 15: Life on Land
Mexico is one of the five megadiverse countries on the planet, with approximately 12% of global biodiversity; however, it faces one of the highest deforestation rates in Latin America: losses estimated at between 100,000 and 200,000 hectares of forest per year, concentrated in Chiapas, Yucatán, Campeche, and the Lacandona Jungle. Illegal trafficking of wildlife and flora, expansion of agriculture and livestock over natural ecosystems, forest fires, and the introduction of invasive species are documented pressures in SIODS. Although the Network of Natural Protected Areas (ANPs) covers more than 13% of the national territory, effective management and financing of ANPs are insufficient to contain biodiversity loss at the required pace.
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Mexico faces a security and violence crisis that directly impacts SDG 16 compliance: in 2023, approximately 32,000 intentional homicides were registered, placing Mexico among the most violent countries in the world in absolute terms. The Global Impunity Index (IGI-MEX) places Mexico with high levels of judicial impunity, with less than 10% of crimes resulting in a conviction. Citizen trust in institutions police, prosecutor’s office, judiciary is among the lowest in Latin America according to INEGI (ENSU) surveys. In contrast, there have been advances in transparency mechanisms, strengthening of the INE and the National Guard, although effective access to justice remains unequal by region, social class, and population group.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Mexico actively participates in multilateral mechanisms of the 2030 Agenda and has the SIODS as the official monitoring platform with more than 200 national indicators aligned with UN frameworks. However, development financing, including South-South cooperation, science and technology investment, and official development aid flows needs strengthening. Coordination between the three levels of government (federal, state, and municipal) for implementing SDGs at the subnational level is irregular: not all states have their own action plans aligned with the 2030 Agenda. The private sector and civil society participate in thematic alliances, but the institutionalization of these links is still fragile and inconsistent across administrations.
Conclusion
This post summarizes the key insights I gained from participating in HackODS UNAM 2026. The knowledge presented here reflects what I learned about Mexico’s progress, challenges, and opportunities within the SDG framework. Whether you’re preparing a thesis, a grant proposal, or a policy brief, remember that your work can be part of the global effort to achieve the 2030 Agenda. Start small, align with the SDGs, and build from there.
Bibliography
The data presented in this post reflects the most recent available information as of early 2024-2025. For the latest updates, please consult the official sources directly, as statistical agencies regularly release new data and revisions.
- INEGI / CONAPO / Presidency of the Republic (2024). Sustainable Development Goals Information System — Mexico (SIODS).
🔗 https://agenda2030.mx - CONEVAL (2024). Social Policy Evaluation Report 2024 (IEPDS 2024). National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy.
🔗 https://www.coneval.org.mx/EvaluacionDS/PP/IEPDS/Paginas/IEPDS_2024.aspx - UN Mexico (2024). 2024 Results Report — Sustainable Development Goals in Mexico. United Nations Mexico.
🔗 https://mexico.un.org/es/sdgs - UNDP Mexico (2024). SDG Monitoring — Platform for Development Analysis (PAD). United Nations Development Programme Mexico.
🔗 https://pad.undp.org.mx/monitoreo-ods - ECLAC (2024). SDG Statistical Profile — Mexico. Agenda 2030 in Latin America and the Caribbean.
🔗 https://agenda2030lac.org/estadisticas/perfil-estadistico-ods.html?pais=mex - Government of Mexico (2024). Compliance with Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals in Mexico.
🔗 https://www.gob.mx/agenda2030 - INEGI (2023). National Urban Public Security Survey (ENSU) and National Survey on Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Households (ENDUTIH).
🔗 https://www.inegi.org.mx
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