Residents in 3 of Mexico's poorest states are found to be deficient in essential services
Half of Mexico's Poorest States' Population Lacks Basic Services
A recent survey reveals that in Mexico's three poorest states—Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca—nearly half the population lacks access to at least one basic service such as running water, electricity, sewerage systems, or chimneys for households using wood or charcoal for cooking.
According to the survey, 48.6% of residents in Chiapas lack at least one basic service, followed by 47.4% in Guerrero and 46.7% in Oaxaca. These issues are most acute in the south-southeast of Mexico, where poverty is concentrated.
The basic services include running water, electricity, sewerage, and chimneys in homes using wood or charcoal for cooking. The most common basic service that Mexicans lacked in 2024 was a chimney.
Urban areas typically have much better access than rural areas, where deprivation is greater. While Mexico has made historic poverty reduction progress in recent years, regional disparities ensure that millions still face deficiencies in housing and basic services.
Chiapas, for example, also has the highest multidimensional poverty rate, with 66% of residents living in poverty. Guerrero and Oaxaca follow closely behind, with 58.1% and 51.6% multidimensional poverty rates, respectively.
The report from La Jornada also shows that in 2024, 4.9% of Mexicans lived in homes that weren't connected to sewerage, according to INEGI. The other 25 federal entities had rates below 20% for lack of access to sewerage systems.
In addition to sewerage, access to running water, electricity, and chimneys is also a significant challenge in these states. In Chiapas, 48.6% of residents lacked access to running water in their homes in 2024, while in Guerrero, 47.4% of residents lacked access to electricity. In Oaxaca, 46.7% of residents lacked access to running water, and 46.7% lacked access to sewerage systems.
The figures show that despite national poverty reduction efforts, regional inequalities persist, particularly in the south-southeast of Mexico. As Mexico's poverty rate drops, southern states lag behind, with higher rates of multidimensional poverty.
In 2024, around 6.4 million people lived in homes that were not connected to sewerage, and approximately 300,000 Mexicans didn't have electricity in their homes. In addition, 12.6 million who cook with wood or charcoal didn't have a chimney in their homes, representing 9.7% of the population.
These findings highlight the need for continued efforts to address regional disparities and ensure that all Mexicans have access to basic services.
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