Yearbook of Migration and Remittances Mexico 2020

Key points

• Key points:
• Between 2010 and 2019, the Mexican migrant population in the United States grew moderately (+500 thousand), but the second and third generation Mexicans had significant growth (+2.6 and +2.5 million, respectively). In total, 39 million Mexicans lived in the US in 2019.
• The Mexican migrant population in the U.S. is one of those that reports the lowest annual labor income (median of US $29,000) and the lowest levels of education among migrants (only 6.5% have a bachelor or graduate level).
• The Covid-19 crisis seems to have temporarily reduced migration through Mexico and to the United States. Between April and June, in the United States, apprehensions of migrants decreased by 79%, while in Mexico detentions of migrants decreased by 90%.
• From March to April, the unemployment rate of Mexican migrants went from 6.2% to 17.0%: 875,000 Mexican migrants lost their jobs in a single month due to the COVID-19 crisis. Between May and July, a recovery is already observed, albeit slow.
• Against initial estimates and despite the COVID-19 crisis, we estimate that remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean will reach US$ 70.4 billion (+6.0%) and in Mexico to US$ 39.5 billion (+8.4%) in 2020.