Mexico housing costs force 80% to cut food or health spending

According to the 2026 Global Housing Research Report by Habitat for Humanity International (HPHI), 80% of people in Mexico reported reducing essential spending on food or avoiding medical care to afford housing costs. This figure exceeds the global average of 75%.

Lacmi Rodríguez, national executive director of Habitat for Humanity Mexico, noted that this gap suggests housing insecurity begins long before a family loses their home. The report highlights that 56% of Mexican respondents fear a single unforeseen event could jeopardize their ability to keep their home, compared to a 48% global average. To maintain stability, 36% of respondents have used emergency savings and 34% have taken on additional work.

Additionally, the report states that 57.3% of homes in Mexico are self-built (autoproducción), often without formal financing or technical assistance.

Separately, OECD data indicates that Mexico reported the lowest energy inflation among its member countries in August 2026, with a rate of 0.9% year-on-year, significantly lower than the OECD average of 13.6%.