According to 2004 estimates, 104.959.594 people live in Mexico (Table 3).⁴³ The vast majority of the Mexican population are of mixed, Spanish and indigenous origins while other races represent smaller proportions (mestizo: 60%; Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian: 30%; Caucasian or predominantly Caucasian 9% and others: 1%).⁴⁴

Table 3: Some indicators of the Mexican population demographic characteristics^{45, 46}

Although during the twentieth century, the Mexican population grew steadily, since the late 1980s, declining fertility rates have slowed down its growth.⁴⁷

Spanish is the official language, although various Mayan dialects are also spoken. The literacy rate was estimated at 92% in 2003. In rural areas, however, more than 20% of the population does not know how to read or write.⁴⁸

Nearly 90% of the people are Roman Catholic, 6% are Protestant and around 1% of the inhabitants profess other faiths. Since pre-colonial times, Mexican architects, painters, writers and musicians have produced a rich cultural heritage that makes Mexico a very attractive and historically rich country.

According to the United Nations Development Report for 2003, Mexico is ranked 55/175 countries, with a Human Development Index of 0.800.⁴⁹ This represents the lowest index in the high rank of human development.⁵⁰

The country is divided into 31 states and the Federal District that includes the country’s largest and most populated city, the capital Mexico City (21,233,900 inhabitants in 2003).⁵¹ All 31 states and the Federal District are joined together in a federation. Other large cities in Mexico are Guadalajara (1.665.800); Puebla (1.345.500) and Monterrey (1.135.000).