Suman Bery: Mexican Surprises
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Mexico tends to be in the news for all the wrong reasons: financial crisis, illegal immigration, drug-lords, and most recently as the apparent origin of the H1N1 virus.
A recent visit there allowed me the privilege of seeing a very different side of Mexican life. It also stimulated reflection as to what lies ahead for India as it gets richer and urbanises further.
Mexico’s population of 105 million makes it the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil. Its per capita national income in 2007 of $8,340 causes it to be classified as an upper middle-income country by the World Bank, and it is two-thirds of the way to being classified as a high-income country. It is a member of the OECD; indeed the present Secretary-General of the OECD is a Mexican.
