Rising consumer debt trends in Mexico and the United States

Financial data highlights growing debt challenges for consumers in Mexico and the United States. In Mexico, the National Survey on Financial Health (Ensafi) reports that 36.2% of the adult population carries debt, with 27.3% of debtors experiencing payment delays. Furthermore, 71.5% of adults reported high or moderate financial stress. To manage these obligations, Condusef recommends the “payment accelerator” method—applying extra funds to one debt while maintaining minimum payments on others—and advises that total debt payments should not exceed 30% of income.

In the United States, the Federal Reserve revealed that spending through “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) services exceeded $160 billion last year, an increase of nearly 80% since 2023. Driven by inflation and rising living costs, consumers are increasingly using BNPL for essential daily expenses such as food, rent, and transportation. While these services offer short-term flexibility, experts warn of high fees for late payments and note that many platforms now report activity to major banking entities, which can impact credit scores.