OVERPOPULATION IN MEXICO: STATISTICS, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES - ENVIRONMENT - 2024

The overpopulation in Mexico refers to the large number of people living in its territory. Currently the country has 124 million inhabitants in 1,973,000 km2, so it is estimated that there are 64 people for every square kilometer.

Its capital, Mexico City is the most populated in Latin America and the sixth in the world. It is considered that the problem of high population density in the territory of present-day Mexico comes from the pre-Hispanic period.

Francisco I. Madero Street in Mexico City. Source: HicksW

During the 20th century, the population growth rate remained at 3% per year until the middle of the century. Because of this, in the 1970s the Mexican government implemented birth control policies. Among the causes of overpopulation in Mexico are cultural, economic and social factors. In particular, economic growth has been a fundamental engine for population growth.

The population rate increased exponentially starting in 1943, associated with the Green Revolution and industrial and commercial development. Some causes of this are the better health systems and the greater availability of food.

Overcrowding has brought serious problems to Mexico, such as severe environmental deterioration, especially due to water pollution and the generation of waste. On the other hand, there are serious problems in public services due to the growing demand. Likewise, overpopulation implies a high demand for natural resources that end up being depleted. Furthermore, in large cities the housing deficit is high and overcrowding occurs.

Among the measures that mitigate this problem are education and improvement of the standard of living. Thus, the massive incorporation into the educational system and government campaigns have managed to decrease the population growth rate in the country.

Statistics

-Pre-Hispanic and colonial Mexico

Since pre-Hispanic times, Mexico has suffered overpopulation and its consequences, being considered one of the causes of the disappearance of the Mayan culture. Subsequently, a new cycle of population growth occurred in the next 600 years until the arrival of the Spanish.

When the conquerors arrived in Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City) in 1521, the city had an estimated population of 300,000 people. By comparison, the most populous city in Europe was Venice with over 100,000 inhabitants.

For this period, the population of the Valley of Mexico was no less than 7 million people. Later, Mexico suffered a strong population decline as a result of the conquest.

Then, in the next 400 years, the indigenous population was distributed mainly in rural areas. By the 18th century, Mexico had about 4 million inhabitants and the population grew to 6 million during Independence.

-Modern Mexico

Twentieth century

At the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Mexico was 13.6 million inhabitants distributed in a territory of 1,973 million km². This gives a population density of 6.8 inhabitants / km², which during the first half of the century grew by around 3%.

Later, during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1917), the country reduced its population by 3 million inhabitants. This was as a consequence of the war, which caused the death of two million people, while one million went to the United States.

By 1910, there were 15.2 million inhabitants and 19 years later (1929) the population had only increased to 15.6 million. After the war ended, the population growth rate increased by about 3% per year between 1940 and 1980.

As a consequence of this large population increase, during the 1970s the Mexican government implemented birth control policies. These measures have been successful as the population growth rate has been reduced.

Thus, by the end of 1982 the growth rate was reduced to 2.4% and in 1988 it reached 2.1%. By 1995 Mexico had 94 million inhabitants, with an annual growth rate of 2.1%. However, despite this decline, by the year 2000 Mexico reached a population of 101 million inhabitants.

XXI century

During 2015 it was estimated that the population was 119 million people, with a growth rate of 1.4%. This population was distributed in 48.6% men and 51.4% women.

By 2018, the population reached 124 million inhabitants, and the population density was 64 inhabitants / km2. The majority of this population is Mexican, since it is estimated that foreign inhabitants barely reached 0.99%.

Regarding the distribution by age, the population of Mexico is quite young since only 10.4% are over 60 years of age. In this sense, estimates made in 2015 indicate the average age was 27 years, being three years older than that registered in 2010.

-Population distribution

Regarding the population distribution pattern, in Mexico the bulk of its inhabitants are located in urban centers. This is because the poles of economic development attract the bulk of the population to a given area.

Thus, 19% of the Mexican population is concentrated in its capital Mexico City and its metropolitan area. For their part, the other four most important metropolitan areas of the country (Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla and Toluca) group 11% of the inhabitants.

Causes

General view of Mexico City. Source: Ralf Roletschek

The rate of increase of the population of a country is given by the relationship between the birth rate and the death rate. In other words, everything that increases the birth rate and decreases mortality implies a net growth of the population.

Cultural

More than 80% of the Mexican population is Catholic and about 50% assumes this religion with great fervor. In this sense, an important segment of the population refuses to use contraceptive methods.

On the other hand, in rural areas, a large family is considered a positive element for working on the land.

Quality of life and sanitary conditions

The greater economic and social development of Mexico, mainly since the 1940s, has improved the quality of life of its inhabitants. This is because access to the health system has increased and medical advances have been made.

Therefore, the mortality rate has decreased from 19.4% in 1946 to only 5.9% in 2017 and there is a longer life expectancy.

Increased food production: the green revolution

Starting in 1943, there was an increase in food production in Mexico as a result of the incorporation of a series of technological improvements. This process was called the Green Revolution, and it was based on the use of modern production techniques.

The Green Revolution allowed a significant increase in yields and therefore a greater availability of food. Likewise, it represented a dynamic element of the country's economy, although it generated great environmental deterioration.

Immigration

Generally, the entry of foreign population to a country represents a cause of population increase. However, in the case of Mexico it is not significant, since by the year 2000 the official number of foreigners did not reach 500,000 people.

Economic dynamism

If a region achieves economic dynamism in terms of growth and opportunities, it becomes a pole of attraction. Thus, between 1970 and 1980 the population growth rate in the northern border area of ​​Mexico was lower than the national average.

This was due to the fact that in that period the highest economic growth in the country was located in the Valley of Mexico. However, with the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, the border economy improved considerably.

Therefore, between 1990 and 2000, the population growth rate of this region was 2.3%, while the national average was 1.8%.

Consequences

Air pollution due to overcrowding in Mexico City. Source: Creator: Fidel Gonzalez

Contamination

The most serious consequence of overpopulation in Mexico is the environmental impact it causes. For example, its capital is the most populated in Latin America and the one that produces the most garbage.

The city's effluents pollute the rivers in the region and air pollution reaches alarming levels. On the other hand, Mexico ranks first in Latin America in the generation of solid waste and emission of greenhouse gases.

In addition, all the rivers near large cities have high levels of pollution. For example, the Tula River is one of the most polluted, mainly due to effluents from the metropolitan area of ​​Mexico City.

Public services

The collapse of public services is one of the main consequences of the concentration of large human groups. In Mexico, the main problems are with access to drinking water and public transportation.

In large cities such as Mexico City, the provision of drinking water is insufficient and of poor quality. For its part, the subway and minibus system is not capable of supplying the demand.

Traffic

Traffic in the border city of Tijuana, Mexico. Source: UpstateNYer

By 2017, a little more than 30 million private vehicles were circulating in Mexico, of which around 7 million were in Mexico City. This implies a serious problem of automobile circulation, generating enormous complications in the city and great air pollution.

Security of goods and people

Overcrowding in large cities coupled with high levels of poverty creates high levels of insecurity. In Mexico City, theft from pedestrians increased by 19% between 2009 and 2010.

living place

One of the main problems posed by overpopulation is the lack of space, especially when that population is concentrated at high densities. In the case of Mexico, around 50% of the dwellings have overcrowding problems, with an average of 2.5 people per room.

Demand for natural resources

The growing population increases the demand for natural resources (food, minerals, water), as well as goods. The need to incorporate land for food production or mineral extraction generates high rates of deforestation of virgin forests.

In this sense, in the last 50 years Mexico has lost most of its rainforest. Currently, it has one of the highest rates of deforestation in Latin America, estimated at between 500 thousand and 800 thousand hectares per year.

Possible solutions

The problem of overpopulation is not easy to tackle, since when a country has a high population rate it is difficult to reverse it. However, one option is to regulate growth to prevent the problem from worsening and mitigate its negative effects.

The only socially viable ways to reduce overpopulation are by reducing the birth rate and emigration.

-Reduction of the birth rate

Education

Regarding the reduction of the birth rate, this is achieved through cultural changes aimed at birth control and family planning.

Since 1977, the Mexican State has implemented policies to reduce the population growth rate with six-year plans, based on contraception. This has been based on national campaigns for the use of contraceptives and social support from the State for family planning.

Economic development

According to some specialists the best contraceptive is development, therefore access to education is essential. In this way, family planning and the use of contraceptives are facilitated, and other favorable conditions are achieved.

Thus, generally young people who enter the educational system postpone their procreation stage, decreasing the growth rate. Likewise, the participation of women in the labor and professional field tends to reduce their expectations of the number of children.

According to statistical data, national plans to reduce the population growth rate in Mexico have been working. The fertility rate in the mid-1970s was estimated to be above 6 and in 2010 it dropped to 2.37.

-Emigration

Emigration contributes to reducing the population of a country, since a portion of its inhabitants stop living in it. For Mexico, this has been a relevant element since in the last 20 years more than 10 million Mexicans have emigrated.

Mexican migration is mainly to the United States of North America (USA), and its flow remains constant to this day. By 2017, 27% of foreigners in the US were Mexicans, a figure that has multiplied exponentially since 1910 when it was barely 2%.

References

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2. Benítez-Zenteno, Raúl (1994). Latin American vision of the demographic transition. Population dynamics and political practice. Fourth Latin American Population Conference on the Demographic Transition in Latin America and the Caribbean, vol. 1, Mexico, DF
3. Candelas-Ramírez R (2018). Study on Population and Development. The demographic transition and the dividends derived from the demographic bonus. Center for Social Studies and Public Opinion. 45 p.
4. Gomez-Pompa A and A Kaus (1999). From pre-Hispanic to future conservation alternatives: Lessons from Mexico. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 96: 5982–5986.
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6. Williams BJ (1989). Contact Period Rural Overpopulation in the Basin of Mexico: Carrying-Capacity Models Tested with Documentary Data. American Antiquity 54: 715.