Mexico City’s economic prowess is supported by the fact that 17 of the Fortune Global 500 companies have their headquarters located in the capital including crude oil behemoth Pemex and telecommunications giant América Móvil.
Mexico was among the world’s top 15 exporters in 2016, shipping US$373.9 billion worth of goods around the globe. Highest-value Mexican exports are automobiles, automotive parts and accessories, crude oil, computers and mobile phones according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Mexico City: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Independence Monument (Monumento a la Independencia), Latin American Tower (Torre Latinoamericana) and Cortez Palace (Palacio de Cortés)
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Mexico City, Mexico.
- Salomondrin, vlogger & car collector (born Dec. 7, 1984)
- Fernando Romero, architect (born Oct. 11, 1971)
- Helena Rojo, actress & model (born Aug. 18, 1944)
- Ricardo Salinas Pliego, billionaire founder of Grupo Salinas (born Oct. 19, 1955)
- Larry Rubin, US-Mexico political voice (born Aug. 31, 1974)
- Mario Van Peebles, actor & film director (born Jan. 15, 1957)
- Carmen Boullosa, poet, novelist & playwright (born Sep. 4, 1954)
- Julio Frenk, physician & University of Miami president (born Dec. 20, 1953)
- Yésica Sánchez Maya, human rights lawyer (born Nov. 13, 1977)
- Kathe Sandler, filmmaker (born May 11, 1959)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches of published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Mexico City resident: Capitalino
Population: 8,918,653 (Mexico City)
Density: 15,557 people per square mile (6,006 per square kilometer)
Population: 109,564,000 (Greater Mexico City)
Density: 1,315 people per square mile (508 per square kilometer)
Population: 123,166,749 (Mexico)
Density: 164 people per square mile (63 per square kilometer)
Financial
GDP: US$403.6 billion in 2014 (Greater Mexico City)
GDP per person:$19,239
Note: The above GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars.
Official currency used in Mexico City: Mexican peso
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data). Accessed on November 16, 2016
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas. Accessed on November 16, 2016
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, North America: Mexico. Accessed on January 24, 2017
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition. Accessed on November 16, 2016
Fortune, 2015 Global 500. Accessed on January 24, 2017
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 24, 2017
Official Government Website, Government of Mexico City. Accessed on November 16, 2016
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), 2016 Cities of Opportunity Report. Accessed on January 24, 2017
The World Factbook, Field Listing: World, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on November 16, 2016
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags. Accessed on November 16, 2016
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Mexico City. Accessed on November 16, 2016
Wikipedia, Greater Mexico City. Accessed on November 16, 2016
Wikipedia, Mexico. Accessed on January 24, 2017
Wikipedia, Capital Districts and Territories. Accessed on November 16, 2016
Mexico City has a land area measuring 573 square miles (1,485 square kilometers). The capital’s estimated population was 8.9 million residents in 2015.
The population count for Greater Mexico City equaled 20.2 million people living over a more extensive land area measuring of 800 square miles (2,072 square kilometers).
At the country level, Mexico’s land territory covers 750,561 square miles (1,943,945 square kilometers). The national population was 123.2 million inhabitants as of July 2016.
Mexico declared its independence on September 16, 1810. Mexicans celebrate Independence Day as a public holiday each September 16.
Population density in Mexico City equates to an estimated 15,600 residents per square mile (6,000 per square kilometer).
Density within Greater Mexico City is more concentrated, averaging 25,300 people per square mile (9,800 per square kilometer).
For Mexico overall, population density drops significantly to an average 164 Mexicans per square mile (63 per square kilometer).