Healthcare and Research Infrastructure
Mexico's healthcare system is a hybrid public-private model, with the public system covering the majority of the population. An estimated 70% to 80% of medical services nationwide are delivered by public healthcare institutions, while private-sector providers serve roughly 25% to 30% of Mexicans. Public healthcare services in Mexico are delivered through three major institutions: the Mexican Institute of Social Security (Instituto Mexico de Seguro Social or IMSS), the Institute of Safety and Social Services for Public Sector Workers (Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado or ISSSTE) and the Secretary of Health (Secretaria de Salud or SSA). Total health expenditure was around $83.72 billion in 2022, representing approximately 6.2% of GDP. According to 2023 OECD data, Mexico spent $1,181 per capita on health, less than the OECD average of $4,986 (USD PPP or purchasing power parity). This is equal to 5.5% of GDP, compared to 9.2% on average in the OECD.
Mexico's research ecosystem is still developing relative to top-tier global hubs. The country's main public R&D agency, Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y TecnologÃas (CONAHCYT, formerly CONACYT), supports national science, technology and innovation programs. In 2023, federal R&D spending totaled around MXN 31 billion to 33 billion (USD $1.8 billion to $2.0 billion), equivalent to only about 0.3% of GDP.
Mexico's biomedical research infrastructure is anchored by several national institutes, including: UNAM's National Autonomous University of Mexico, the country's leading research institution with extensive capabilities in biomedical sciences, chemistry, biotechnology, pharmacology and genomics; the National Institutes of Health of Mexico (INSalud) in Mexico City, comprised of 13 national institutes representing the country's most advanced hospital-based research network (e.g., INCMNSZ for nutrition, INCan for cancer, INER for respiratory diseases); Cinvestav (Center for Research and Advanced Studies), a major hub for biotechnology, nanoscience and biomedical engineering research; and the National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity (LANGEBIO-CINVESTAV), a key player in genome analysis, plant/animal genomics and biotechnology. There are also regional clusters such as Guadalajara, Nuevo León (Monterrey), Querétaro and Puebla that feature biotech parks, medtech manufacturing and academic-industry collaborations.
