How Mexico's Population Policy Shortcomings Threaten Development
Mexico's population policy has been lacking. The country has failed to capitalize on its demographic bonus due to a lack of strategic planning and resources. This has resulted in a declining birth rate, emigration, and economic challenges.
In the complex interplay between population dynamics and national development, Mexico is facing a demographic crisis that has been largely ignored by its policymakers. Despite warnings from experts and the clear evidence of shifting demographic trends, the country has yet to adopt a coherent population policy that aligns with its broader development goals. This inaction, according to Carlos Welti Chanes, a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), threatens to squander Mexico’s demographic bonus—its window of opportunity to leverage a young and economically active population for national growth.
At the recent University Seminar on the Social Issue, Welti Chanes delivered a pointed critique of Mexico’s failure to integrate population management into its national development strategy. “Numerous governments have ignored the need to have a population policy as part of a national development strategy,” he said, outlining how a lack of strategic planning has left the country ill-equipped to handle its demographic shifts. This neglect is evident in the underfunding of population-related programs and the weakening of key institutions like the National Population Council (CONAPO).
