Mexico urban security perception shows regional improvements

Data from the National Survey of Urban Public Security (ENSU) by Inegi indicates varying trends in perceived insecurity across Mexican urban areas. In Mérida, the perception of insecurity dropped by 4.2 percentage points during the third quarter of 2026, falling from 38.2 percent in June to 34 percent in September. This figure remains significantly lower than the national average of 58.1 percent.

In Ecatepec, the perception of insecurity decreased by 11.4 percentage points between December 2024 and September 2026, moving from 88.8 percent to 77.4 percent. Mayor Azucena Cisneros Coss attributed this shift to security strategies, public space recovery, and social programs, noting that the city has moved out of the ten cities with the highest perceived insecurity in Mexico. Additionally, citizen confidence in the local police force reportedly rose from 21.3 percent to 44.1 percent.