Jose Sanchez
Research expert covering society, economy, & politics for Latin America
Monterrey – statistics & facts
The relevance of Monterrey started to increase in more recent years compared to other cultural capitals of Mexico, such as Mexico City or Guadalajara. During the colonial period, the now capital of Nuevo Leon lacked the resources and characteristics to become either an industrial or economical center of New Spain. But things changed quickly from the end of the Mexican-American War in 1846 and the Porfiriato (1876-1911) when Monterrey became closer to the border and the connection to the U.S. with the construction of the railway. Nowadays, Monterrey is one of the most populated cities in the country and falls only behind Mexico City and Guadalajara when the metropolitan areas are considered. The city, also called the Industrial Capital of Mexico, is one of the richest, ranking as the fourth highest purchasing power in Latin America and the Caribbean.
With this, problems of a stationary population have started to arise: the number of newborns has been decreasing and reached its lowest level during 2020 with around 13,500 births, while the number of deaths peaked in 2021.
In sum, Monterrey is one of the Mexican cities with the highest growth potential. Nonetheless, recent world and national events, from the election of Donald Trump as the U.S. president to the prevalence of crime and poverty, have tampered with the attempts to exponentially grow the economic output of the city.
The stagnant population
With fewer children, longer lifespans, and higher rents, the population pyramid of Monterrey already resembles a bell. This means that most of the population is between 20 and 34 years old. In 2020, around 1.14 million people called Monterrey their home, meaning that in 20 years the population grew only by 2.7 percent and remained unchanged between 2015 and 2020.With this, problems of a stationary population have started to arise: the number of newborns has been decreasing and reached its lowest level during 2020 with around 13,500 births, while the number of deaths peaked in 2021.
Foreign investment
In recent years, Nuevo Leon registered an oscillating level of foreign direct investment (FDI) reaching 2.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. But the region, and specifically Monterrey, is attracting more investment from different areas. This includes plans from Tesla to create its first Gigafactory in Mexico, with an estimated investment of over 10 billion U.S. dollars. This will bust employment and development in the metropolitan area of Monterrey in case the project is re-activated. During the 2024 U.S. presidential elections, the construction of the Gigafactory was paused due to concerns of tariffs on cars produced in Mexico. The decision to create the factory in this region is not only due to its proximity to the American border, but also because industrial activity thrives in Nuevo Leon, in fact, among the most common job positions in the state are activities related to car manufacturing, mechanical engineers, and machinery operators.Crime and poverty in Monterrey
Like many big cities, Monterrey is not exempt from crime. During November 2024, a total of 6,260 crimes were reported to the police, of which property and family crimes were the most common categories. Specifically, the most reported crime by far was domestic violence. Sadly, since the beginning of 2020, the number of monthly property crimes has been increasing overall. That’s no surprise due to the colossal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainty on the economy and the people in Mexico. Even though the poverty rate in Monterrey is much lower than in the rest of the country, still almost 60 percent of the inhabitants of the city are considered to be either living in poverty conditions or vulnerable to some degree.In sum, Monterrey is one of the Mexican cities with the highest growth potential. Nonetheless, recent world and national events, from the election of Donald Trump as the U.S. president to the prevalence of crime and poverty, have tampered with the attempts to exponentially grow the economic output of the city.
