Mexico has recorded a nearly 40% decline in its murder rate since President Claudia Sheinbaum assumed office in October 2024, according to preliminary government statistics released Thursday.
The daily homicide average in December 2025 fell to 52.4, down from 86.9 in September 2024, according to data from Mexico's National Public Security System.
"It is the lowest number since 2016," Sheinbaum said at her morning news conference alongside security officials. She said the numbers proved the success of her government's security strategy and credited close collaboration between federal security officials and state governors.
The presentation comes amid growing pressure on Sheinbaum by the Trump administration to forcefully crack down on drug cartels and criticism from opposition leaders that she isn't doing enough to address insecurity in the country.
For all of 2025, Mexico's national murder rate per 100,000 people was 17.5, the lowest since 2015, according to a presentation by the head of Mexico's National Public Security System.
Homicide numbers are usually revised, often upwards, when they are formally released by the national statistics agency INEGI after going through a process of revisions, checks and adjustments.
While Mexico's National Public Security System reports monthly homicide figures based on state prosecutors’ data, INEGI collects homicide death data from civil registries and forensic services. Its figures are considered definitive but are published with a longer lag time.
Opposition parties have harshly criticized the president’s security strategy, highlighting the high number of politicians killed in office. According to the Mexican NGO Common Cause, 56 politicians were killed last year, including seven sitting mayors. In November, Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan in Michoacan, was brazenly assassinated in a case that shocked the country.
Security analysts say lethal violence remains a challenge for the government, as crimes remain highly concentrated in a few states. Seven of Mexico's 32 states account for just over 50% of homicides nationwide, led by Guanajuato, Sinaloa and Baja California.
"Mexico needs strong local police forces, with support and resources. The government must listen to those who face violence in their communities every day,” Senator Mario Vázquez of the opposition PAN party said. "Mexico deserves real security, not speeches.”
Critics also argue that forced disappearances have risen, masking the violence in the country. According to Mexico's national registry of disappeared persons, the first year of Sheinbaum’s term saw a record number of disappearances: 14,765 people did not return home, a 16% increase compared to the year before.
