Having dark skin, being born in the south of the country, and having parents who only completed primary education are three components of one of the most difficult barriers to overcome for millions of Mexicans who aspire to improve their quality of life.
This is according to a study conducted by the Espinosa Yglesias Study Center (CEEY), which showed that among dark-skinned children in the first quintile (the 20 percent of the poorest population), 57 percent remain in that same segment into adulthood, while the remaining 43 percent manage to prosper.
In contrast, among light-skinned children born in the poorest 20 percent of the population, only a third remain in the same conditions into adulthood, while the remaining 66 percent manage to raise their socioeconomic status.
“This set of results suggests that in Mexico there is a problem of unequal opportunities and treatment due to differences in skin tone, which is exacerbated for women,” notes the report “Social Mobility in Mexico 2025. The Persistence of Unequal Opportunities.”
Region of Birth Also Determines the Ability to Advance
Published this Monday, the document also notes that the region of birth largely determines people’s ability to advance in social mobility, which calls for prioritizing the implementation of public policies that promote development in the southern part of the country.
Using the same methodology, the CEEY study showed that within the first quintile (the poorest 20 percent of the population), 64 percent of children born in the states of Veracruz, Tabasco, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo remain in the same socioeconomic status upon reaching adulthood.
In contrast, among children in the poorest segment of the population, the region of birth largely determines the ability to advance in social mobility. Among those born in the north-central region (Aguascalientes, Jalisco, San Luis Potosí, and Michoacán), only 31 percent remain at the same socioeconomic level, while the remaining 69 percent achieve greater social mobility as adults.
“This analysis reveals that Mexico faces considerable challenges compared to other developed economies, particularly in terms of economic persistence and inequality of opportunity. While some progress has been made, the recent stagnation poses significant challenges. At the same time, regional comparisons show that there are much more successful realities within the same national territory,” the analysis concludes.
For example, the levels of inequality in the south of the country are similar to those experienced in the most polarized countries in the world, such as Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Guatemala.
Meanwhile, the conditions experienced in northern Mexico (Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas) are comparable to the levels of equality of opportunity experienced in Germany, Poland, Iceland, or Mexico City. United Kingdom.
Parents’ educational level, a determining factor in inequality of opportunity
The CEEY research also reveals that, after the economic resources of the household of origin, the second most determining factor in inequality of opportunity and, therefore, in the social mobility of Mexicans, is the educational level of the parents.
According to the research, when an individual comes from parents who only have primary education or less, they have a 39 percent chance of remaining at that educational level. In contrast, when the person has parents with professional studies, they have a 63 percent chance of achieving the same educational level.
After analyzing these variables, the report concludes that the persistence of inequality of opportunity and the intergenerational transmission of poverty are major problems that require attention.
“Understanding their structural causes and effects on people’s lives is essential to building a society with a broader range of opportunities that allow for the promotion of social mobility,” it emphasizes.
Source: oem
