Is Mexico Safe? What the Numbers Say

I love math. Math is the one thing that makes everything objective. And when dealing with subjects that are highly controversial, I find that math is your best friend.

It's not a secret that many Americans are afraid to come to Mexico because they don't think it's safe. While coming to Mexico is not for everyone, I think many people would benefit from having numbers that reflect the situation accurately.

I'm not going to write any comments, just take a look at the numbers and decide for yourself if Mexico is safe:

a) Number of Americans that visit Mexico everyday: 150,000

b) Homicide Rates in American Cities vs Mexican Cities (figures per 100,000)

Miami: 15.4
Philadelphia: 19.6
Chicago: 15.2
New Orleans: 49.1
Washington D.C: 21
Atlanta: 17.6
Mexico City: 9
Guadalajara: 12
Queretaro: 3

c) Homicide Rates in International Vacation Destinations

Ecuador: 19
Mexico: 14
Bahamas: 25
Guatemala: 52
Brazil: 23
Jamaica: 62
Dominican Republic: 24

d) Warnings of the US State Department:

No warnings for the following states:
Baja California Sur
Campeche
Chiapas
Estado de Mexico
Guanajuato
Hidalgo
Mexico City
Oaxaca
Puebla
Queretaro
Quintana Roo
Tabasco
Tlaxcala
Yucatan

States where touristic towns and  areas are safe but it's not recommended to leave them:
Aguascalientes
Baja California Norte
Colima
Guerrero
Jalisco
Michoacan
Morelos
Nayarit
Nuevo Leon
San Luis Potosi
Sinaloa
Sonora
Veracruz
Zacatecas

States that are considered unsafe
Chihuahua
Coahuila
Durango
Tamaulipas

Source: US Department of State

d) Violent Crime Rates

Assault:
Canada: 712
US: 757
Mexico: 144

Kidnapping:
Canada: 8.67
US: NA
Mexico: 1.3

Rape:
Canada: 73
US: 30
Mexico: 13.6

Please note that this data came from American sources and it took under reported crime into account.

--

Robert Ervin is a freelancer who writes about healthcare, medical tourism, and living in Mexico.

If you're considering traveling to Mexico for healthcare or retiring in Mexico, you may want to get yourself a copy of The English's Speaker's Guide to Doctors and Hospitals in Mexico, in order to find a good doctor or hospital in the main towns and cities of Mexico, or The English Speaker's Guide to Medical Care in Mexico, to understand how the Mexican healthcare system works. 

Safety in Mexico: A Testimonial

It's no secret that many Americans are afraid of coming to Mexico because of the violence. Everytime Mexico is in the news, it's usually because there's a report of a gun fight, a kidnapping, or a murder. With that kind of violence going around, who would ever want to live there? Don't the Americans who go to Mexico for health care know that the saving won't make up for the risk of losing their lives?

Today, I wanted to share a testimonial of William Chaney, who retired with his wife to Mexico after 44 years of working on the food industry. He wrote his own view on safety in Mexico:

"Is Mexico safe? The short answer is yes.

Mexico is host to about 2 million retired Americans, as well as a great number of Canadians and people from other countries. Some have lived here for years and every year, there are new ones arriving.

People routinely ask about the violence that they see in the newspapers and TV at home. This violence happens mostly due to wars between cartels and it's focused mostly in towns near the border. Sometimes there is violence in areas where the drug is manufactured, grown, or transported. Almost all of the killings happen to people involved in the drug business; people who grow, transport, sell, buy or manufacture drugs. There is no violence in the retirement communities.

Obviously, if you're coming to Mexico to find drugs easily, then you're pretty much putting yourself in danger.

Regarding other types of violence, Mexico is as safe as any country. There is the occasional robbery and the break-in, and yes, a foreigner will be involved once in a while, but no more than in any other part in the world. However, when it happens, it makes headlines in the country of origin of the foreigner, and if that's the only news you have about everyday Mexico, then you're going to get an exaggerated idea of how unsafe Mexico is. I have been traveling to Mexico for 20 years and I have never heard any problems between retirees and locals that ended up in violence.

Mexico is a very safe place to retire, and I would say even safer than other retiring places int he world. The Mexican government has an interest in making retirement and tourism safe. There's always a strong police presence, which is there to make sure that areas where foreigners or retired are are safe. After all, tourism and retirees' spending constitute Mexico's second source of income, behind oil exports.

Remember that, just like anywhere else, you have to do your part. Respect the culture and costumes of the people of Mexico. You are the guest in their country. Research and obey the laws and the manners of Mexico, which can be very different from the ones where you came from. Mexico has a slower pace than most Western countries. Just go with the flow and enjoy it. Mexicans, despite the ridiculous stereotype, are very hard working and they too dream of retiring and enjoy their last years. When you get to know them and adapt to them, your time in Mexico might become the best years of your life.

Living in Mexico is about 30% cheaper than in the States. However, those who have the means can get themselves a penthouse with ocean view, a maid and a chef. I strongly advice against this, as you'd be missing on the amazing local customs and the warmth of Mexicans."

You can read William's Blog here.

--

Robert Ervin is a freelancer who writes about healthcare, medical tourism, and living in Mexico.

If you're considering traveling to Mexico for healthcare or retiring in Mexico, you may want to get yourself a copy of The English's Speaker's Guide to Doctors and Hospitals in Mexico, in order to find a good doctor or hospital in the main towns and cities of Mexico, or The English Speaker's Guide to Medical Care in Mexico, to understand how the Mexican healthcare system works.