Poverty in Mexico: trends, determinants, and policies

This chapter analyzes the evolution of poverty in Mexico in the last three decades and evaluates the key factors associated with its changes. A major aspect of this is the implementation of various social policies targeted at the poor and low-income sections of the population. Conditional cash transfers have been particularly helpful in combating poverty. Whereas the country continues to have relatively high rates of poverty, this chapter explains how the lack of strong economic growth, little progress in improving income distribution, and the limited fiscal resources devoted to antipoverty programs and social expenditure have hampered progress toward poverty reduction in the last three decades.