12 answers, 5 from Mexico's own official bodies, with a link to each figure.
3.7% of people aged 15 and over in Mexico could not read or write in 2025, down from 4.8% in 2020, according to INEGI's 2025 intercensal survey.
The survey measures basic literacy as reported by households, so it does not capture functional literacy. INEGI publishes the rate for each state and municipality. In the same survey, 5.9% of people aged three and over spoke an Indigenous language in 2025.
People aged 15 and over in Mexico had an average of 10.3 years of schooling in 2025, up from 9.7 years in 2020, according to INEGI's 2025 intercensal survey.
Ten years is roughly the end of lower secondary school (secundaria, nine years) plus one year of upper secondary. The average combines younger people, who generally have more schooling, with older generations, so it rises steadily over time. INEGI publishes the figure by state, sex and age.
96.0% of 6 to 14-year-olds and 70.4% of 3 to 5-year-olds attended school in Mexico in 2025, according to INEGI's 2025 intercensal survey. Among 15 to 24-year-olds, 47.3% were in education, up from 44.4% in 2020.
Attendance is reported by households and covers any level of education. 81.8% of students got to school in 30 minutes or less, and walking was the most common way to get there (48.5%). The SEP publishes enrolment counts from schools, which can differ from survey figures.
School fees (colegiaturas) in Mexico's consumer price index rose 5.84% in the 12 months to September 2026, according to INEGI's consumer price index bulletin, compared with 3.45% for overall inflation. In September alone fees rose 3.14%, as the new school year started.
The item covers fees at private schools and universities. Public education is free, so the item affects families using private schools. The rise in fees was the same in the 12 months to September 2025.
Mexico's government spent 4.06% of GDP on education in 2022, according to World Bank data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, down from 4.50% in 2020.
The figure covers public spending by federal, state and local governments on all levels of education, including transfers to students and households. It does not include what families pay for private schools. Comparable figures for other countries are in the same World Bank series.
The figures below use one definition for every country, so they can differ from national figures.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts net primary school enrolment in Mexico at 95.3% in 2017. No year since 2005 has been lower. It is 7th highest of 24 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 93.9%. Of 134 countries with 2017 data, 54th highest.
The latest figure from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, for 2024, is 103.1%. Since 2005 it has ranged from 80.6% (2005) to 106.0% (2018). Latin America & Caribbean median: 91.6%; Mexico is 7th highest of 22. World rank, highest first: 26th of 100.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts gross tertiary enrolment in Mexico at 48.2% in 2024. No year since 2005 has been higher. It is 5th highest of 12 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 38.0%. Worldwide: 47th of 90.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts the adult literacy rate in Mexico at 95.6% in 2024. Since 2005 it has ranged from 91.6% (2005) to 95.8% (2023). It is 4th highest of 13 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 94.7%.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts government spending on education in Mexico at 4.1% of GDP in 2022. No year since 2005 has been lower. It is 15th highest of 30 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 4.0% of GDP. Worldwide: 79th of 155.
The latest figure from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, for 2017, is 27. That is the lowest since at least 2005. Latin America & Caribbean median: 18; Mexico is 2nd highest of 23. Of 130 countries with 2017 data, 36th highest.
In 2024, the primary completion rate in Mexico was 102.3%, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Since 2005 it has ranged from 99.7% (2009) to 111.5% (2014). Latin America & Caribbean median: 93.9%; Mexico is 4th highest of 19. Worldwide: 17th of 104.
Read on 14 October 2026. Definitions · Report an error