How Mexico fights poverty with higher wages – Level 2

Mexico has been making big steps to reduce poverty by raising the minimum wage over the last few years. The minimum wage is the lowest amount an employer can pay a worker. Since 2018, Mexico has increased wages by about 135%, helping many families afford food and housing. In 2025, the daily minimum wage went up by 12%, meaning workers earn more money each day. These wage increases have helped millions of people move out of poverty, improving the lives of many families.

Even with these improvements, Mexico still faces high inequality. Inequality means that some people earn a lot more money than others. For example, the richest 10% of people in Mexico earn a much bigger share of the country's total income compared to the poorest 10%. Although poverty is going down, many people still don’t have access to good health care, education, or housing. This kind of poverty is called multidimensional poverty because it isn’t just about money, but also about access to basic services.

To continue fighting poverty and inequality, experts say that Mexico should offer free education for young people, create more well-paying jobs, and support groups that face extra challenges, like Indigenous people and people with disabilities. These actions, combined with raising wages, can help create a fairer society where more people have opportunities to improve their lives.

Bridging words

These words sound similar in English and Spanish: Why not practice them now?

 Time to discuss

• Should all workers in Mexico be paid the same minimum wage?
• Is it fair for some people to earn much more than others?
• Should the government give more help to families who have less money?

Let's write

Answer the following questions in one paragraph:

• Imagine you are a worker whose pay has increased. How would you use the extra money?
• Write about one way you think life can be made better for poor families in your country.