Monterrey – statistics & facts
The relevance of Monterrey started to increase in more recent years compared to other cultural capitals of Mexico, such as Mexico City or Guadalajara. During the colonial period, the now capital of Nuevo Leon lacked the resources and characteristics to become either an industrial or economical center of New Spain. But things changed quickly from the end of the Mexican-American War in 1846 and the Porfiriato (1876-1911) when Monterrey became closer to the border and with the construction of the railway connecting the city with the United States. Nowadays, Monterrey is one of the most populated cities in the country and falls only behind Mexico City and Guadalajara when the metropolitan areas are considered. The city, also called the Industrial Capital of Mexico, is one of the richest, ranking as the third city with the highest purchasing power in Latin America and the Caribbean.
With this, problems of a stationary population have started to arise: the number of newborns has been decreasing and reached its lowest level during 2020 with around 13,500 births, while the number of deaths peaked in 2021.
The stagnant population
With fewer children, longer lifespans, and higher rents, the population pyramid of Monterrey already resembles a bell. This means that most of the population is between 20 and 34 years old. In 2020, around 1.14 million people called Monterrey their home, meaning that in 20 years the population grew only by 2.7 percent and remained unchanged between 2015 and 2020.With this, problems of a stationary population have started to arise: the number of newborns has been decreasing and reached its lowest level during 2020 with around 13,500 births, while the number of deaths peaked in 2021.
