Mexico has embarked on a bold package of structural reforms that will help it to break away from three decades of slow growth and low productivity. Major structural measures have been legislated to improve competition, education, energy, the financial sector, labour, infrastructure and the tax system, among many, and implementation has started in earnest. If fully implemented, these reforms could increase annual trend per capita GDP growth by as much as one percentage point over the next ten years, with the energy reforms having the most front-loaded effects. Beyond this, a second wave could go further to tackle other structural bottlenecks. These challenges include reducing stringent regulation – particularly at the local level – and addressing corruption and weak enforcement of legal rights. The justice system is often slow and inefficient. And in the agricultural sector, strict land use restrictions and the structure of subsidies promote inefficiency. Moving even closer towards OECD best practices could increase potential growth by another percentage point annually.

In 2013 the Mexican government embarked on a major reform agenda which, if fully implemented and pushed forward, will help Mexico break out from a recent history of economic stagnation and high levels of poverty and inequality that has hampered the quality of life of its citizens. Indeed, compared with other OECD countries, Mexico performs poorly in indicators that are essential to a good life, often resulting in traps that hinder growth and well-being. The government has introduced major structural reforms to fight poverty, improve the quality of education, create more jobs in the formal sector and move towards a universal social security system. This is a substantial accomplishment. However, Mexico needs to build a more inclusive state. This implies raising more tax revenue (without necessarily increasing tax rates) to expand social protection. It also means promoting an inclusive labour market to reduce informality and increase female labour market participation; inclusive schools to reduce educational gaps; inclusive health systems so that health care quality no longer depends on employment status; and inclusive cities to reduce geographical segregation.