Mexican household incomes grow

Mexico City, July 17: The incomes of Mexico's 31.5 million households grew by 1.5 percent between 2010 and 2012, the National Statistics and Geography Institute, or Inegi, reported on Tuesday.

Median quarterly household income increased from 33,746 pesos ($2,657) in 2010 to 38,125 pesos ($3,001) last year.

In Mexican homes, the biggest expenditures are made on food, beverages and tobacco, 34 percent; ahead of the funds directed to transportation and communications, 18.5 percent; and education and leisure activities, 13.8 percent.

Great disparities continue to exist between rich and poor, with the poorest households in the country devoting 46.4 percent of their income to food, beverages and tobacco, compared with the wealthiest households, which allocate 14.4 percent of their income to that category.

In contrast, spending on education and leisure activities took up 5.2 percent of the income in the poorest homes but 19.9 percent of the income in the richest ones.

Women and girls make up 51.3 percent of Mexico's 117.4 million people.

More than half the population, 54 percent, is under the age of 30.

The average Mexican household consisted of 3.7 people in 2012, below the 2010 figure of 3.9 people per home.

IANS