Economy, jobs and prices in Sonora, Mexico: official figures
The gross domestic product of Sonora was 1.11 trillion pesos in 2024 at current prices, according to INEGI, 3.3% of Mexico's 33.58 trillion pesos and 11th largest of 32 federal entities. In current pesos it was up 3.6% on 2023.
How fast is the economy of Sonora growing?
After removing price changes, the economy of Sonora shrank 0.3% in 2024, against 1.5% for Mexico as a whole; 9th slowest growth of 32.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyHas the economy of Sonora grown since 2018?
In real terms GDP in Sonora was 5.4% higher in 2024 than in 2018 (Mexico 5.0% higher), 12th largest growth of 32. Since 2003 it has grown 61.4% in real terms (Mexico 41.9%), and its share of national GDP has moved from 2.70% to 3.30%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Sonora?
Dividing 2024 GDP by CONAPO's mid-2024 population gives 355,689 pesos per person in Sonora, 1.40 times the national figure of 253,888 pesos; 5th highest of 32.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyWhat are the main industries in Sonora?
In 2024 tertiary activities (trade and services) made up 43.5% of gross value added in Sonora, secondary activities (industry, mining, construction and utilities) 49.2% and primary activities (farming, livestock, forestry and fishing) 7.3% (8th highest farm share of 32; Mexico 4.1%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyHow important is manufacturing in Sonora?
Manufacturing produced 30.6% of gross value added in Sonora in 2024 (10th highest of 32; Mexico 21.5%), and mining 9.6%. Hotels and restaurants accounted for 2.2% (16th highest of 32).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Sonora?
The unemployment rate in Sonora was 2.8% in April to June 2026, according to INEGI's ENOE labour force survey, against 2.7% for Mexico; 12th highest of 32.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyWhat was the unemployment rate in Sonora in 2025?
A year earlier, in April to June 2025, the ENOE put unemployment in Sonora at 2.5% (Mexico 2.7%; 14th highest of 32), with 1,462,445 people in work and labour force participation of 62.5%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyHow many people work in Sonora?
About 1,469,932 people in Sonora were working in April to June 2026 and 41,769 were unemployed. 62.7% of residents aged 15 and over were in the labour force (7th highest of 32; Mexico 59.1%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyHow many workers in Sonora are informal?
43.9% of employed people in Sonora worked informally in April to June 2026 (without social security through their job or in unregistered businesses), against 55.1% nationally; 8th lowest of 32. A year earlier the rate was 43.7%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyIs informal work in Sonora falling?
Labour informality in Sonora was 43.9% in April to June 2026, up 0.5 percentage points on the same quarter of 2019 (43.4%) and down 6.3 percentage points on 2005 (50.2%), when INEGI's quarterly series begins.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Sonora?
In April to June 2026, 48.1% of workers in Sonora had no access to health services through their work, 70.1% were salaried employees, and 19.0% worked in manufacturing; 8.9% worked in farming, livestock, forestry or fishing.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyWhat is the average wage in Sonora?
Employed people in Sonora earned an average of 81.22 pesos per hour worked in April to June 2026 (Mexico 70.26 pesos; 8th highest of 32), and worked an average of 41.3 hours a week (Mexico 41.5).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyWhat is the average household income in Sonora?
Average current income per household in Sonora was 94,721 pesos a quarter in 2024 (about 31,574 pesos a month), against 77,864 pesos for Mexico, according to INEGI's ENIGH household survey; 6th highest of 32.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyIs household income rising in Sonora?
At constant 2024 prices, average household income in Sonora was up 13.9% on 2022 and up 7.2% on 2016 (Mexico up 10.8% since 2016).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyWhat is the income per person in Sonora?
Income per person in Sonora averaged 29,456 pesos a quarter in 2024 (Mexico 23,217 pesos; 5th highest of 32). The richest tenth of people had 11.7 times the average income of the poorest tenth.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyHow unequal is income in Sonora?
The Gini coefficient of income per person in Sonora was 0.369 in 2024 (Mexico 0.417), 8th least unequal of 32; in 2016 it was 0.463.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyHow much do households in Sonora spend?
The 951,076 households of Sonora spent an average of 69,221 pesos a quarter on current consumption in 2024 (Mexico 61,309 pesos); 32.2% of their cash spending went on food, drink and tobacco (Mexico 37.7%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) · saved copyHow Sonora compares with other states
GDP at current prices, 2024 (2024)
Sonora ranks 11 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | GDP at current prices, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Chihuahua | 1.29 trillion pesos |
| 9 | Coahuila | 1.24 trillion pesos |
| 10 | Puebla | 1.19 trillion pesos |
| 11 | Sonora | 1.11 trillion pesos |
| 12 | Tamaulipas | 1.01 trillion pesos |
| 13 | Michoacan | 924.0 billion pesos |
| 14 | Queretaro | 803.7 billion pesos |
GDP per person, 2024 (GDP / CONAPO mid-2024 population) (2024)
Sonora ranks 5 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | GDP per person, 2024 (GDP / CONAPO mid-2024 population) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mexico City | 545,611 pesos |
| 3 | Nuevo Leon | 428,759 pesos |
| 4 | Coahuila | 368,586 pesos |
| 5 | Sonora | 355,689 pesos |
| 6 | Chihuahua | 321,837 pesos |
| 7 | Baja California | 317,907 pesos |
| 8 | Queretaro | 308,319 pesos |
Real GDP growth, 2024 (2024)
Sonora ranks 24 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Real GDP growth, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Jalisco | 0.8% |
| 22 | Morelos | 0.7% |
| 23 | Baja California | 0.3% |
| 24 | Sonora | -0.3% |
| 25 | Sinaloa | -0.3% |
| 26 | Coahuila | -0.5% |
| 27 | Chihuahua | -0.9% |
Real GDP growth, 2018-2024 (cumulative) (2018-2024)
Sonora ranks 12 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Real GDP growth, 2018-2024 (cumulative) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Michoacan | 7.8% |
| 10 | Veracruz | 6.7% |
| 11 | Jalisco | 6.3% |
| 12 | Sonora | 5.4% |
| 13 | Durango | 5.4% |
| 14 | Zacatecas | 5.3% |
| 15 | Mexico City | 5.2% |
Manufacturing share of gross value added, 2024 (2024)
Sonora ranks 10 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Manufacturing share of gross value added, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Queretaro | 33.9% |
| 8 | Tamaulipas | 32.9% |
| 9 | Guanajuato | 32.3% |
| 10 | Sonora | 30.6% |
| 11 | Tlaxcala | 28.4% |
| 12 | Puebla | 26.6% |
| 13 | Hidalgo | 23.7% |
Unemployment rate, Q2 2026 (Q2 2026)
Sonora ranks 12 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Unemployment rate, Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Sinaloa | 3.1% |
| 10 | Durango | 2.9% |
| 11 | Baja California | 2.9% |
| 12 | Sonora | 2.8% |
| 13 | Campeche | 2.7% |
| 14 | Chihuahua | 2.7% |
| 15 | Aguascalientes | 2.6% |
Labour force participation rate (age 15+), Q2 2026 (Q2 2026)
Sonora ranks 7 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Labour force participation rate (age 15+), Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Colima | 65.5% |
| 5 | Yucatan | 64.1% |
| 6 | Mexico City | 62.9% |
| 7 | Sonora | 62.7% |
| 8 | Tlaxcala | 61.8% |
| 9 | Puebla | 61.2% |
| 10 | Oaxaca | 61.2% |
Labour informality rate (TIL1), Q2 2026 (Q2 2026)
Sonora ranks 25 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Labour informality rate (TIL1), Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Mexico City | 45.3% |
| 23 | Quintana Roo | 45.0% |
| 24 | Tamaulipas | 44.4% |
| 25 | Sonora | 43.9% |
| 26 | Aguascalientes | 42.5% |
| 27 | Baja California Sur | 39.6% |
| 28 | Queretaro | 39.2% |
Average income per hour worked, employed people, Q2 2026 (Q2 2026)
Sonora ranks 8 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Average income per hour worked, employed people, Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Chihuahua | 85.34 pesos |
| 6 | Sinaloa | 85.30 pesos |
| 7 | Baja California | 84.63 pesos |
| 8 | Sonora | 81.22 pesos |
| 9 | Quintana Roo | 79.60 pesos |
| 10 | Coahuila | 78.11 pesos |
| 11 | Tamaulipas | 76.27 pesos |
Average quarterly current income per household, 2024 (2024)
Sonora ranks 6 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Average quarterly current income per household, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Baja California Sur | 104,728 pesos |
| 4 | Baja California | 101,187 pesos |
| 5 | Queretaro | 97,615 pesos |
| 6 | Sonora | 94,721 pesos |
| 7 | Chihuahua | 92,363 pesos |
| 8 | Aguascalientes | 89,819 pesos |
| 9 | Quintana Roo | 88,754 pesos |
Average quarterly current income per person, 2024 (2024)
Sonora ranks 5 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Average quarterly current income per person, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Nuevo Leon | 35,499 pesos |
| 3 | Baja California Sur | 33,381 pesos |
| 4 | Baja California | 31,880 pesos |
| 5 | Sonora | 29,456 pesos |
| 6 | Queretaro | 29,266 pesos |
| 7 | Colima | 29,015 pesos |
| 8 | Chihuahua | 29,005 pesos |
Gini coefficient of income per person, 2024 (2024)
Sonora ranks 25 of 32, highest first. Gini coefficient: 0 means everyone has the same income, 1 means one person has all of it.
| Rank | Region | Gini coefficient of income per person, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | State of Mexico | 0.378 |
| 23 | Durango | 0.376 |
| 24 | Hidalgo | 0.370 |
| 25 | Sonora | 0.369 |
| 26 | Guanajuato | 0.363 |
| 27 | Baja California Sur | 0.359 |
| 28 | Coahuila | 0.358 |
More on Sonora: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · Mexico
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI): Encuesta Nacional de Ingresos y Gastos de los Hogares (ENIGH) 2024, nueva serie, tables by federal entity: 1.3 (households), 2.1 and 2.3 (average quarterly current income per household and per person, deciles and Gini, 2016-2024 at constant 2024 prices), 4.5 (household spending by category), 6.1 (income and spending per household), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70b3c7ea2dc8…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI): Encuesta Nacional de Ocupacion y Empleo (ENOE): strategic indicators of occupation and employment, April-June 2026, national and federal entity tables, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ad9d2139d9ee…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI): Encuesta Nacional de Ocupacion y Empleo (ENOE): strategic indicators of occupation and employment, April-June 2025, national and federal entity tables, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8e9948078b2c…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI): ENOE, informalidad laboral: quarterly labour informality and informal-sector rates by federal entity and sex, 2005-2026 (Tasas_Infor_enti-1.xlsx), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d940bbd2871c…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI): Producto Interno Bruto por Entidad Federativa (PIBE), base year 2018, series 2003-2024 (2024 revised): tables PIBE_2 (GDP), PIBE_4 (gross value added), PIBE_5, PIBE_12 and PIBE_31 (primary, secondary and tertiary activities), PIBE_13 and PIBE_14 (mining, oil mining), PIBE_18 (manufacturing), PIBE_44 (accommodation and food services), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c2de99570137…)
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