# Statistics: How Many Expats Live in Mexico (2014)



## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Food for thought:

It’s being reported in _El Universal_ newspaper that Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) records, as of September 2014, disclose that 246,043 foreigners were residing legally in Mexico (i.e., visas issued for permanent or temporary residency purposes, and to students).

The “Top 5” contries from which the foreign residents have come from? 

1. United States (53,451)
2. China (16,337)
3. Colombia (14,301)
4. Spain (14,050)
5. Cuba (13,942)

The presence of China in the 2nd position on the list comes as a surprise to me. Canadians appear in the 7th position.

The 246,043 number doesn’t surprise me, because it’s one, or close to one, I’ve seen quoted by INM previously in recent years. However, there’s also the approx. 1,000,000 “Americans in Mexico” number we’ve seen referred to in some reports, the origin or validity of which remains illusive to me (I believe the Mexican Census report includes a larger than 246,000 projection). A possible explanation for the confusion may be that this approx. 246,000 number excludes (and the 1 million number includes) persons of Mexican origin/parentage who have returned to Mexico, and foreigners who have become naturalized as Mexicans.

52% of foreigners living in Mexico were said to be living in the following five states (in order of concentration):

1. Distrito Federal (61,619)
2. Jalisco (23,452)
3. Quintana Roo (17,274)
4. Baja California (15,438)
5. Mexico (12,114)

Click here to read the _El Universal_ report in its entirety.


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## mattoleriver (Oct 21, 2011)

I'm surprised and puzzled by the number of foreigners in Quintana Roo. Why is that number so high?

George


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

mattoleriver said:


> I'm surprised and puzzled by the number of foreigners in Quintana Roo. Why is that number so high?
> 
> George


Have a look at a map of the state of Quintana Roo, and take note of the cities/towns located there ... and I don't think it's too difficult to figure-out why so many expats are there. 










Source: Explorando Mexico


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

mattoleriver said:


> I'm surprised and puzzled by the number of foreigners in Quintana Roo. Why is that number so high?
> 
> George


If you're going to retire to paradise or even work there, QR is the place. There are more condos there than guitar pickers in Nashville.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Longford said:


> Food for thought:
> 
> It’s being reported in _El Universal_ newspaper that Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) records, as of September 2014, disclose that 246,043 foreigners were residing legally in Mexico (i.e., visas issued for permanent or temporary residency purposes, and to students).
> 
> ...


I think you are correct. The difference between the 53,000 US residents in Mexico and the oft quoted 1,000,000 US residents in Mexico is that the higher number includes lots of children born in the US to Mexican parents so they are dual nationals, but the 2010 census included them in the category "born in US, residing in Mexico". At one time I looked at the census numbers and you could see that from the tables.

What surprises me about the distribution you quoted, is that San Miguel de Allende does not seem to have boosted Guanajuato onto the list.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

joaquinx said:


> If you're going to retire to paradise or even work there, QR is the place. There are more condos there than guitar pickers in Nashville.


It all depends on how you define "paradise", doesn't it?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

TundraGreen said:


> I think you are correct. The difference between the 53,000 US residents in Mexico and the oft quoted 1,000,000 US residents in Mexico is that the higher number includes lots of children born in the US to Mexican parents so they are dual nationals, but the 2010 census included them in the category "born in US, residing in Mexico". At one time I looked at the census numbers and you could see that from the tables.
> 
> What surprises me about the distribution you quoted, is that San Miguel de Allende does not seem to have boosted Guanajuato onto the list.


 I just read the article and Guanajuato is next on the list after the State of Mexico.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

TundraGreen said:


> At one time I looked at the census numbers and you could see that from the tables.


I recall a prior discussion on this topic where reference was made to those statistics and I think you or someone else provided a link.



TundraGreen said:


> What surprises me about the distribution you quoted, is that San Miguel de Allende does not seem to have boosted Guanajuato onto the list.


IMO, the claims of expats _over-running_ San Miguel de Allende have mostly been fiction and not fact. Whatever the situation may have been a decade ago, there are, from reports I've read and conversations I've had in SMA, many fewer expats residing in SMA now than then. I don't think the INM numbers quoted in El Universal provided a breakdown of top cities/towns with the most expats and seeing that would shed some light on the matter.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

I lived in SMA from 2004-2007. The greatest influx of expats was when the Art Institute was very much active. It was being converted to shops during my time there. The main tourism was weekenders from D.F., since it was only two hours' driving time to SMA.


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