Higher education funding declines in Argentina and Mexico

Higher education institutions in Argentina and Mexico are facing budgetary challenges despite shifts in student enrollment.

In Argentina, the 2027 budget proposal for national universities projects a real increase of 0.3%, yet credit remains 25.2% below 2023 levels. According to a report by the Centro de Economía Política Argentina (CEPA), the university budget saw a real decline of 35.4% between 2023 and 2025. Furthermore, faculty and staff have experienced a 25% loss in purchasing power through August 2026 compared to November 2023.

In Mexico, higher education enrollment has grown by over 240,000 students, but the approved budget for 2026 is 4,629.3 million pesos less than the expenditure in 2025. This represents a 2.4% reduction in total funding. Consequently, the expenditure per student has decreased by approximately 6.5%, falling from roughly 34,542 pesos in 2025 to 32,295 pesos in 2026.