Less than eight months ago we reported that the expat population in Mexico was just over 1.1 million, based on the initial 2020 census count by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI). Now, INEGI says there are more expats living in Mexico.
INEGI’s revised expat population jumped from its initial estimate of 1,148,957 released in February 2021 to 1,212,252, a gain of 63,295. The new number is more in line with our Expats In Mexico estimate of 1.3 million expats based on INEGI’s projected numbers over the past five years.
The new number represents nearly one percent of Mexico’s total population of just over 126 million people.
The biggest revision by INEGI is in the country of origin of expats in Mexico. Last February, the government’s statistics arm said American expats represented about 65 percent of all expats living in Mexico. That percentage has been revised upward to over 89 percent nearly nine-out-of-10.
INEGI revised data also show that Baja California Sur is the fastest growing area of Mexico for expats. Its 6 percent growth rate was one full percentage point higher than Quintana Roo. Baja California, with its close proximity to the U.S. border, was the third fastest growing area in Mexico for expats, growing nearly 3 percent.
Baja California also has the largest total number of expats, around 140,000 and its southern neighbor BCS has over 9,000.
The expat population in thirteen states decreased in last year’s census, led by violence-plagued Guerrero and CDMX, the nation’s capital, both decreasing nearly 3 percent.
Although my hometown of Puerto Vallarta is sizzling with new part-time and full-time expats filling the endless stream of new condos circling the Bay of Banderas, the state of Jalisco’s expat population grew by less than 1 percent over the past 10 years. The current INEGI statistics show about 10,000 expats living around the Bay, but considering our Expats In Mexico polling for the past several years has showed Puerto Vallarta as the number one desired destination for expats, that number should be far higher by 2030.
The revised INEGI figures also reveal that the total expat population in Mexico has grown by more than 253,295 since the 2010 census and 719,635 since 2000.
