Socioeconomic Segregation in Mexico City: Scale, Social Classes, and the Primate City

Abstract

Mexico City is known as one of the largest cities in the world and thought by many to be one of the most unequal. Not surprisingly, it has received more attention than other Mexican urban areas. However, the city’s internal social organization is often misunderstood. Mexico City stands out as a city where segregation is relatively low, and levels of inequality are actually lower than perceptions. Moreover, between 1990 and 2010, both segregation and inequality have declined. This chapter examines these changes. We report on changes in occupational structure and patterns of segregation by educational level. Educational level is different from income or occupation, but these three dimensions of socioeconomic conditions are closely linked. While the overall level of segregation between educational groups in the city has slightly decreased, residential patterns of educational groups have changed significantly. The number of neighborhoods with high concentrations of highly educated people increased significantly and expanded geographically. At the same time, the prevalence of neighborhoods with residents with low and middle educational attainment has diminished and neighborhoods that house people of all educational categories or high and middle categories are more numerous. This chapter illustrates the complexity of segregation patterns in such a large metropolitan area, as well as the challenges of determining why patterns have changed.