Introduction

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Mexican sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military.

Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index).

To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question.

In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis of each area, a summary table and the main conclusions about the peculiarities of Mexican sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 61.7

There are no foreign military bases in Mexico. According to international surveys and lists of US facilities abroad, there are no permanent bases of other countries (in particular, the United States) in Mexico, despite strategic cooperation in the field of defense and security.

Mexico participates in many international treaties, the principle that international agreements and conventions are part of national law and are directly applicable (Article 133 of the Constitution); however, priority remains with the domestic constitutional order. Power in the country in 2024 is concentrated in the new president Claudia Sheinbaum (MORENA party), with more than 2/3 support in Congress; the support rating is about 80%.

However, there are concerns about judicial independence, corruption, and the influence of drug cartels, and the reforms themselves generate lively debate and protests. The efficiency of the Mexican government is average worldwide; according to the World Bank, the country is in the 30-35 percentile range.

This reflects the existence of institutional problems (corruption, bureaucracy, weak policy implementation institution). EGDI in 2024 is 0.696 (according to the UN), Mexico is the average in the global e—government ranking; most of the basic services are present, there is no full—fledged one-stop integration yet.

The new president, Sheinbaum, enjoys extremely high confidence (a trust rating of about 80%), but political polarization and pressing reform issues persist. Mexico is a member of the United Nations, the WTO, the G20, the OECD, NAFTA/USMCA, the Pacific Alliance, CELAC, and active international arbitration; some supranational economic and legal standards are being translated into national practice.

Mexico is an active participant in the jurisdictions of international courts (the International Court of Justice, the ICC, the Inter-American system for Human Rights, etc.). Federal Republic: the highly centralized government of the United States of Mexico, 32 states with their own executive, legislative and judicial authorities. Nevertheless, the federal center dominates on key political and economic issues.

In 2024, Mexico ranked 140th in the global Corruption Perception ranking (26/100 points), indicating low transparency and weak civil control, especially with regard to intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies. Many control bodies have been weakened or abolished in the course of institutional reforms.

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, the coverage is 97%.

Economic sovereignty — 62.4

GDP 22,033 - 25,688 USD — according to the World Bank, Trading Economics and other sources of GDP per capita by PPP, the official World Bank estimate for 2024 is 25,688 USD. USD 229-232 billion — international reserves at the end of 2024, steady growth in recent years (including gold, currency and IMF special rights). 47.7%-53.1% of GDP is the official indicator for the central government (47.7%, CEIC/Trading Economics) and the expanded indicator for the entire public sector (HBPSBR) — 51.4–53.1% of GDP (BBVA, February 2025).

Mexico is a net exporter of agricultural products (corn, avocado, wheat), providing more than 100% of its needs for basic products, however, dependence on soybeans, wheat, and individual cereals remains in the import structure.

The country provides itself with energy through the extraction of oil, gas and coal, and is also developing renewable energy production; it exports oil, but imports gasoline, some gas and petrochemicals, and energy independence is partial. Large proven reserves of oil (39th in the world), natural gas, copper, silver, gold, molybdenum, limestone and uranium.

The extraction of energy and non—ferrous metals has historically been the country's leading industry. Water availability is ~3,800 m3 per inhabitant/year, but the distribution is not uniform: there are areas with chronic shortages, especially in the metropolitan region and the northern states.

Water supply is the subject of national strategies. Transactions are processed through the SPEI (Banco de Mexico) system, VISA, Mastercard, and local fintechs. The Central Bank fully controls the banking settlement infrastructure and maintains national and international standards. 95% of domestic settlements are in Mexican pesos (MXN); foreign trade is often conducted in dollars, but the national currency fully controls the domestic market.

The Central Bank of Mexico (Banco de Mexico) is the country's only issuing and lending center: it is responsible for issuing pesos, conducting monetary policy and overseeing the financial sector; it acts as an independent institution.

Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 96%.

Technological sovereignty — 48.9

0.27% of GDP — expenditures on research and development according to the World Bank and Statista (downward trend). Mexico has focused on an export—oriented industry - the automotive industry and electronics for North America are developed, but its own electronics/IT brands are much inferior to foreign ones, most of the software, semiconductors, and equipment are imported.

The proportion of young people with complete higher education is 23-26% among people aged 25-34; Mexico is catching up with other OECD countries, but lagging behind the leaders. ~82-85% of the population uses the Internet in 2024; among young people — almost 100%, in rural areas — less than 60%. There are national platforms (public services gob.mx, the SAT tax platform, fintechs like Clip, MercadoPago Mexico), however, the main IT solutions (mail, hosting, OS, clouds) are of global origin.

Import dependence is high: more than 80% of software and equipment, chips, microchips, medical equipment, and high-precision machine tools come from the United States, Asia, and the EU. EGDI is 0.696 (Latin American level), e—government is expanding, but there is no complete single digital window, many services require a physical visit or bureaucratic procedures.

The domestic biotech industry is modest, innovative drugs and basic medical technologies are imported; local clusters (Instituto Politico Nacional, UNAM) work mainly on agrobiotechnology and applied research.

Mass import of industrial robotics (KUKA, FANUC, ABB, Yaskawa), minor local assemblies and start-ups; there are no domestic serial manufacturers of robots. There is no production of microchips, chips, and semiconductors on an industrial scale for 2024; all microelectronics are imported from the USA, Taiwan, and China.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which ensures 92% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 67.2

In 2024, the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency was established with the General Directorate of Cybersecurity, but there is no national cybersecurity law; incidents are coordinated according to national protocols and through relevant regulators (CNBV, Banxico, INAI), the country participates in the ITU Cyber Index, but is not included in the top 50 in terms of sustainability.

In Mexico, there are 9 Internet exchange offices (IXPs) in cities such as Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Querétaro, Merida. The stability and independence of data exchange within the country is growing stronger, and the infrastructure is constantly expanding. The vast majority of media outlets are published in Spanish; there are radio stations and newspapers in Maya (La Jornada Maya) and other indigenous languages, but the main cultural stream is Spanish speaking.

The dependence is high: the leading cloud, search, social media and digital services are Google, Meta, Microsoft, AWS, etc.; there are no national preferences, and a significant proportion of data is hosted abroad. 70% of TV and radio broadcasting is provided by national productions (Grupo Televisa, TV Azteca, Grupo Imagen), but the Internet is dominated by foreign services and streaming platforms.

A number of fintech and government platforms (SAT, gob.mx, Clip, MercadoPago), small local CRM and enterprise solutions. However, there is no mass production of our own international-level software, import and outsourcing dominate. Online public services, taxes, basic payments, and education are available to 75-85% of the population, but integration is heterogeneous: digital inequality persists by region and social group.

There are internal data centers (KIO, Alestra), but less than 20% of corporate data is stored on Mexican clouds; AWS, Google, and Microsoft dominate. The largest operators are América Móvil (Telcel), AT&T Mexico and Movistar (Telefónica); they are licensed and controlled by national authorities, the share of MXN structures is high, but the networks and infrastructure are built on foreign equipment.

The main law, LFPDPPP (2010), has been tightened by a number of regulations and regulations of Banco de Mexico and the Institute for Data Protection (INAI). There are no requirements for storing data only within the country; USMCA, EU standards (for trade and services) are followed.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD and specialized sources, coverage is 97%.

Cultural sovereignty — 84.6

Mexico has 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: 27 cultural, 6 natural and 2 mixed. This is the largest number among American countries. Mexico is one of the global sources of cultural influence: the ancient Maya and Aztec civilizations, the traditions of Spanish-Indian synthesis, the vibrant school of monumental painting (Rivera, Siqueiros, Orozco), the leading cinematography of Latin America, outstanding literature (Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes), national music (mariachi, ranchera), global culinary heritage.

The National Art and Literature Award (Premio Nacional de Artes y Literatura), the Ariel and Fénix film awards, state awards in music, architecture, visual arts, as well as grants and awards from the Council for Culture and the Arts.

The main traditions are a synthesis of pre—Columbian, Spanish and local cultures: Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos, UNESCO Intangible Heritage), fiesta, crafts, religious ceremonies, family rituals, carnival, strong local identity. Government programs are aimed at protecting and supporting 68 indigenous ethnic groups and more than 60 languages; financing schools, media, cultural events, benefits and grants.

More than 2,000 monuments of the pre—Hispanic, colonial and modern eras (museums, theaters, archaeological zones, national galleries) are officially registered, the largest museum is the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Mexico is one of the organizers of international film festivals, art biennales, and government programs (Instituto Cervantes, art exhibitions, joint Latin American forums, and UNESCO exhibitions).

Folklore, music, and gastronomic brands ("tequila", "mezcal", "tomatillo", "Mariachi", "Day of the Dead") are registered at the UNESCO/WIPO level and have national and international legal protection. The cuisine of Mexico is one of the most diverse in the world: tacos, enchiladas, moles, tamales, tortillas, tamarind drinks, chilaquiles, local varieties of corn, street food tradition. Mexican cuisine is recognized as an intangible heritage by UNESCO.

According to national statistics, more than 60% of the population attends cultural events or participates in traditions annually, including religious and family celebrations, concerts and exhibitions; the proportion among young people and in cities is over 75%.

Data completeness assessment: basic indicators are available in UNESCO and national statistics, coverage is 94%.

Cognitive sovereignty — 65.8

0.789 — HDI according to the UN (2023), Mexico belongs to the countries with a high level of human development (approximately 75-80 places in the world). 5.2–5.3% of GDP has been stable since the 2010s, above the Latin American average. Overall adult literacy (15+) is 95% (men — 95.6%, women — 93.3%); youth aged 15-24 — 98.7%. PISA-2022: mathematics — 395 points, reading — 419, natural sciences — 410 (one of the lowest positions in the OECD).

The share of university graduates in STEM fields is 24-27% (there are no exact official data, estimates are based on university reference books and IT statistics). The share of joint and foreign programs in bachelor's degrees is 3-4%, in master's and postgraduate studies — up to 8-12% (programs in the USA, Spain, Germany, Great Britain; CONACYT program, exchanges, double diplomas).

Mexico officially recognizes 68 indigenous ethnic groups and more than 60 languages; there is national support for schools, the press, radio, cultural projects of the Maya, Nahuatl, Mixtecs, Zapotecs, Totonacs, etc.. There are about 25-30 leading state/national research institutes (CONACYT, UNAM, IPN, CINVESTAV, etc.), including institutes of fundamental disciplines.

The share of national digital educational platforms and services is about 20-25% (SEP, UNAM, digital universities of the subjects, educational state programs); most of the online resources are international platforms (Coursera, edX, etc.).

There are large national scholarships and grants (CONACYT, Becas para el Bienestar), the annual coverage is more than 400 thousand of students and young scientists (budget — hundreds of millions of US dollars).

Data completeness assessment: education indicators are available in the UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 97%.

Military sovereignty — 54.7

0.9% of GDP — military spending by the end of 2024, approximately $16.7 billion has been allocated from the budget, one of the lowest in Latin America. 261,773 people are the total number of regular ground forces in 2024, of which about 83,400 (according to other sources, up to 100,000) are military personnel in the first quarter of 2025.

The weapons combine outdated models (G3, M16 rifles, Browning M1911 pistols) and new developments (the FX-05 assault rifle of our own production, upgraded DN-XI armored personnel carriers, Bell 412, Boeing, Mi-17 helicopters, Mi-35 and Mi-28NE contracted from Russia, imported artillery).

Serial production of FX-05 small arms, body armor, and military electronics is underway; the share of domestic light weapons and components has increased to 30-35% in the small arms category, the rest is purchases from the United States, Brazil, the EU, and partly Russia. The borders are fully controlled by the national armed forces, police and National Guard; border control has been strengthened due to migration and drug cartel threats, and modern monitoring systems are being used.

As of 2024, there is a total reserve of up to 350,000 people (including all reservists, the National Guard, Special forces police, and B battalions); a formalized mobilization system. Mexico is not a member of military blocs, all military decisions are made exclusively at the national level, and military cooperation is conducted on a bilateral basis (the main partners are the United States, Brazil, Russia, and the EU, which has been diversifying in recent years).

There is a sector of defense production at SEDENA: small arms, bulletproof vests, modernization of equipment, new materials and automation are being introduced; aircraft, heavy equipment, weapons and military equipment are exclusively imported. Mexico does not possess nuclear weapons, has signed and strictly adheres to the Treaty of Tlatelolco (Latin America without nuclear weapons).

There is no military space segment. Commercial satellites (SatMex) are used, data from the USA /EU, its own intelligence system operates according to the classic scheme of the Ministry of Defense (the move is the Secretariat of National Defense and Foreign Intelligence).

All parameters are reflected in the annual reports of SIPRI, UNODA, the Ministry of Defense of Mexico, the official portals of state—owned companies (Embraer, IMBEL) and industry databases of UN/NGO - 88% coverage

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths. Territorial and political sovereignty: The absence of foreign military bases, independence in making key military, legal, and foreign policy decisions, powerful territorial integrity, and borders completely under national control.

Macroeconomic stability: GDP per capita by PPP is 22-25.6 thousand USD, large gold and foreign exchange reserves (229-232 billion USD), debt at a safe level (47-53% of GDP), its own central bank and payment system, internal settlements are entirely in national currency.

Resource security: Mexico has some of the largest reserves of oil, copper, and silver in America, agricultural production completely covers basic food needs, and partial energy independence.

Cultural and linguistic diversity: 35 UNESCO sites (1st place in Latin America), outstanding contribution to world art, literature, cuisine, strong national and local identity, government support for 68 peoples and more than 60 languages, high level of involvement in cultural life.

A young scientific base and government programs: traditionally high coverage of basic and secondary education, 5.2–5.3% of GDP — spending on education, extensive government grants and programs to support young professionals (CONACYT).

Electoral federalism: There are 32 states in the country with the development of local government systems, but the national center retains the advantages and balance of centralization.

Weaknesses. Weak institutional efficiency: Government Effectiveness (WGI) is the 30th—35th percentile, high corruption, low transparency of special services, ongoing reforms limit control over the security sector.

Import dependence of high-tech, IT and science: R&D is one of the lowest in the OECD (0.27% of GDP), most computer equipment, software, microchips, medical equipment, robotics are imported, only 20-30% of software and digital platforms are national. Weak biotechnological and microelectronic base: There is no modern production of chips, large-scale biotech clusters, and massive technology imports in critical industries. Low PISA performance, average HDI: Ranked towards the end of the OECD in PISA tests, HDI — 0.789 (75-80 place in the world), the gap between youth and adult literacy.

Limited innovative export niche: Proprietary software and technological products are very small in the global context. The focus of the export—oriented industry is assembly, not development and brand. Limited digital and legal sovereignty: A large share of BigTech, lack of national regulation of clouds and personal data storage, no strict digital autonomy or data localization requirements.

Army and military industry: Defense expenditures are extremely low (0.9% of GDP), equipment is mainly foreign, the military industry is focused on light weapons, heavy equipment and weapons and military equipment are completely imported, there is no military space. Overall, Mexico's cumulative sovereignty Index is 445.3 out of 700 possible points (above the average of 63.6%), which places the country in the top 100 in the world.

Mexico is a country with an independent territorial, cultural, macroeconomic and political platform, and a highly developed system of cultural and linguistic sovereignty. The main risks are institutional fragility, high import dependence in IT/high-tech, weak development of advanced science in comparison with the OECD leaders, unresolved problems of corruption, security and digital autonomy.

The sovereignty profile indicates that Mexico is a country with a high degree of territorial and cultural independence, effective macroeconomic and monetary sovereignty, but with critically strong import dependence in knowledge—intensive and high-tech sectors, medium-sized administrative and cyber capabilities, and, most importantly, with sustained (but not yet resolved) challenges to institutional development and efficiency.