Mexico has a free market economy with a mixture of
modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated
by the private sector. The number of state-owned enterprises in Mexico
has fallen from more than 1,000 in 1982 to fewer than 200 in 1999. The
ZEDILLO administration is privatizing and expanding competition in sea
ports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity, natural gas
distribution, and airports. A strong export sector helped to cushion
the economy's decline in 1995 and led the recovery in 1996-99. Private
consumption became the leading driver of growth, accompanied by
increased employment and higher wages. Mexico still needs to overcome
many structural problems as it strives to modernize its economy and
raise living standards. Income distribution is very unequal, with the
top 20% of income earners accounting for 55% of income. Trade with the
US and Canada has nearly doubled since NAFTA was implemented in 1994.
Mexico is pursuing additional trade agreements with most countries in
Latin America and has signed a free trade deal with the EU to lessen
its dependence on the US. The government is pursuing conservative
economic policies in 2000 to avoid another end-of-term economic
crisis, but it still projects an economic growth rate of 4.5% because
of the strong US economy and high oil prices.

purchasing power parity - $865.5 billion (1999 est.)

3.7% (1999 est.)

purchasing power parity - $8,500 (1999 est.)

agriculture: 5%
industry: 29%
services: 66% (1999)

27% (1998 est.)

lowest 10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 36.6% (1996)

15% (1999 est.)

38.6 million (1999)

agriculture 24%, industry 21%, services
55% (1997)

2.5% urban (1998); plus considerable
underemployment

revenues: $117 billion
expenditures: $123 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)

food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel,
petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer
durables, tourism

4% (1999 est.)

176.055 billion kWh (1998)

fossil fuel: 78.12%
hydro: 13.82%
nuclear: 5%
other: 3.06% (1998)

164.767 billion kWh (1998)

11 million kWh (1998)

1.047 billion kWh (1998)

corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton,
coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products

$136.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999), includes in-bond industries
(assembly plant operations with links to US companies)

manufactured goods, oil and oil products,
silver, coffee, cotton

US 89.3%, Canada 1.7%, Spain 0.6%, Japan 0.5%,
Venezuela 0.3%, Chile 0.3%, Brazil 0.3% (1999 est.)

$142.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999), includes in-bond industries
(assembly plant operations with links to US companies)

metal-working machines, steel mill products,
agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly,
repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts

US 74.8%, Germany 3.8%, Japan 3.5%, Canada 1.9%,
South Korea 2%, Italy 1.3%, France 1% (1999 est.)

$155.8 billion (1999)

$1.166 billion (1995)

1 New Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos

Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1 - 9.4793 (January 2000),
9.5604 (1999), 9.1360 (1998), 7.9185 (1997), 7.5994(1996), 6.4194
(1995)

calendar year