In a recent survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), insecurity has emerged as the foremost concern for 69.81% of Mexicans, making it the most pressing issue for the population in 2023. This percentage places Mexico at the top among countries where insecurity is identified as the greatest concern, surpassing Sweden (65.06%), Costa Rica (62.69%), and Chile (62.18%).
Following insecurity, employment and unemployment issues are the second most common concern for Mexicans, cited by 43.63% of respondents. Price increases or inflation follow closely at 42.94%, with corruption (41.63%) and climate change or other environmental threats (22.69%) rounding out the top five concerns.
The OECD’s survey, titled “Factors Driving Trust in Public Institutions,” emphasizes the importance of fair treatment and legitimate use of personal data in enhancing the perception of public services. The survey also underscores the necessity of conducting periodic surveys to monitor trust levels and identify areas needing greater investment.
For Mexico, these findings provide a crucial basis for formulating development strategies and public policies that align with citizens’ concerns and expectations. The survey, conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, involved face-to-face interviews with 1,965 people between September 25 and October 4, 2023.
Confidence in Government Institutions
The OECD survey also sheds light on the levels of trust in various branches of government in Mexico. Confidence in the Executive branch stands at 53.61%, while the Judicial branch garners 52.57% trust. Interestingly, the Executive branch generates less confidence than the judicial system but more than the national parliament. In countries like Chile, Colombia, Korea, Mexico, and the Czech Republic, confidence in the judicial system is either equal to or lower than in the national government.
A notable finding is the inverse relationship between educational level and trust in the national government in Mexico. Unlike other countries, Mexicans with higher education levels tend to have lower trust in the national government compared to those with less education.
The confidence of Mexicans in the federal government is significantly higher than the OECD average of 39.3%. Mexico’s trust level is the third highest among OECD members, trailing only Chile (61.94%) and Luxembourg (55.56%). Other countries such as Canada (48.5%), Belgium (47.2%), Norway (47.6%), Finland (47%), and Ireland (46.6%) fall below Mexico in this regard.
Best and Worst Rated Institutions
Despite these figures, the federal Executive is not the most trusted institution in Mexico. International organizations lead with an average trust rating of 59.87%, followed by the Police at 58.12%, and national and regional civil services at 55.07% and 54.36%, respectively.
The report highlights a mixed picture of trust in the federal government. Despite a slight global decline in confidence since 2021, Mexico remains among the few countries where a majority of people have moderate to high confidence in their national government.
Political parties, with a 33.25% trust rating, are the least trusted institutions, though still higher than the OECD average of 24.23%. The Legislative Branch, with a trust rating of 42.83%, and local governments at 48.36%, also fall on the lower end of the trust spectrum.
Out of 11 public institutions or media outlets measured, nine exceeded the OECD average. However, the Police (58.12%) and the Federal Judiciary (52.57%) scored below the OECD averages of 62.87% and 54.09%, respectively.
OECD Comparisons
In terms of the judiciary, Mexico ranks 17th among OECD nations with a confidence level of 52.57%, below Belgium (53.24%) and ahead of the Czech Republic (50.02%). The Legislative Branch is ranked 11th out of 30, positioned ahead of Belgium (41.77%) and just behind Australia (43.16%).
These insights from the OECD survey highlight the critical areas of concern and trust among Mexicans, providing a roadmap for policymakers to address these issues effectively.
