More than 71 out of every 100 Mexicans earn an undignified or very low wage, according to the research revealed by the Anker Research Institute and the civil organization Acción Ciudadana Frente a la Pobreza. A vital or decent wage, defined as the minimum income necessary to provide food, housing, and basic services for a worker and one economic dependent, is 14,449 pesos per month nationally. In regions like CDMX and Baja California, this amount rises to 15,790 and 19,577 pesos per month respectively due to the high cost of living.
According to the research, the decent wage equivalent to two minimum wages (14,935 pesos per month) covers the basic needs of a person. However, 71.2% of Mexicans earn between one and two minimum wages, which is insufficient to reach the indicated vital salary, leaving many people living with inadequate income.
The deputy director of the Anker Institute, Marcelo Delajara, mentioned that in CDMX an average family of four members needs at least 23,493 pesos per month to cover a basic but decent standard of living. This highlights the need not to rely solely on one income but to have at least two adults working to live decently.
The vital salary in CDMX is calculated at 15,790 pesos per month, where most goes to disposable income and the rest to taxes and social security. This amount is between 32% and 36% higher than the average in the manufacturing and services sectors in the capital. Additionally, it is 50% higher than the urban poverty line set by Coneval and double the minimum wage of Consami.
According to Coneval, the cost of the basic food basket in urban areas is 2,344 pesos per person. When adding basic services, the monthly cost rises to 4,567 pesos, which implies that an average family needs at least 18,268 pesos per month to escape poverty, although this does not ensure a decent standard of living.
Rogelio Gómez Hermosillo from Acción Ciudadana Frente a la Pobreza pointed out that covering the cost of the basic basket and services does not guarantee a dignified life, as merely escaping poverty does not mean living decently. The Anker Institute detailed that a decent salary in CDMX covers diet, housing, basic goods, and provisions, distributed across different categories.
In five states of the country, the vital salary was estimated with amounts such as 11,146 pesos in Chiapas, 12,575 in Yucatán, 14,006 in Nayarit, 14,505 in Michoacán, 15,790 in CDMX, and 19,577 in Baja California. These figures represent gross salaries before taxes and contributions to IMSS.
