Ranking Countries

MEX · Americas · refreshed Aug 10, 2026

If Mexico were a US state

It would sit in the top half on 10 of 26 measures — and come first on 3 of them.

Map showing where Mexico is in the world
35th
median, of 52
89th
median, world
3
first places
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Countries that rank like Mexico

Head to head: Mexico vs the United States, measure by measure · or against Barbados.

From the blog: How representative are country rankings?

All 68 measures →Every country ranked →Every US state →All the Top 10s →The overall board →How we read the data →

Common questions

Questions people ask about Mexico

If Mexico were a US state, how would it rank?

Across 26 measures of health, safety, money, education and the environment, Mexico's median rank would be 35th on a list of the 50 states plus Washington, DC. It lands in the top half of that list on 10 of the 26 measures.

Is Mexico richer than the average US state?

Mexico's GDP per capita is $25,868, price-adjusted so states and countries sit on one scale. That would rank 52nd of 52 among the states — poorer than most US states. Source: World Bank (PPP), 2025. See the full ranking

What is life expectancy in Mexico vs the US?

People in Mexico live 75.3 years on average — 3.6 years shorter than the US figure of 78.9 years. Among the states, Mexico would rank 33rd of 52. Source: World Bank / UN Population Division, 2024. See the full ranking

How safe is Mexico compared to US states?

Mexico's homicide rate is 24.9 per 100k — higher than in most US states. Ranked with the states on the lowest rate, it would come 51st of 52. Source: UNODC / WHO, 2023. See the full ranking

Where does Mexico rank in the world?

On the 29 measures with wide global coverage, Mexico's median rank is 89th out of roughly 190 countries (coverage varies by measure). Rank 1st means best in the world.

What is Mexico best at?

Compared with US states, Mexico's strongest measure is statutory paid holiday: at 12 days, it would rank 1st of 52. It does equally well on lowest CO₂ per person. Source: OECD / national statutes, 2026. See the full ranking

What is Mexico weakest at?

Mexico's weakest showing is average wages: 938 $/month (PPP) would rank 52nd of 52 — last place on the list. Source: ILO (ILOSTAT), 2025. See the full ranking

How happy are people in Mexico?

Mexico scores 6.97 / 10 for self-reported life satisfaction, ranking 12th of 162 countries worldwide. Source: World Happiness Report, 2025. See the full ranking

How big is Mexico compared to a US state?

Mexico has about 131.9 million people — more people than any US state. Dropped into the list of 50 states plus DC, it would rank 1st of 52 by population. Source: World Bank, 2025. See the full ranking