Indonesia vs Mexico
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Indonesia and Mexico are two of the largest emerging market economies, positioned as manufacturing alternatives to China in their respective regions. Both have populations exceeding 130 million and GDP levels within a similar range. Mexico's economy benefits from USMCA and proximity to the US, while Indonesia leverages its position in ASEAN and its vast natural resource base. Mexico's manufacturing sector is more integrated into US supply chains (automotive, electronics), while Indonesia is focusing on downstream processing of its mineral wealth, particularly nickel for EV batteries.
Indonesia has a GDP of $1.54T compared to Mexico's $2.12T, making it 1.4x smaller. Indonesia's population is 285.7M vs Mexico's 131.9M. Across 12 key indicators, Indonesia leads in 7 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator | ||
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $1.54T | $2.12T✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $5,362 | $15,779✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 5.0%✓ | 1.6% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $18,973 | $26,643✓ |
| Population | 285.7M✓ | 131.9M |
| Life Expectancy | 71.3 years | 75.3 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 3.0%✓ | 3.9% |
| Unemployment (%) | 4.9% | 2.7%✓ |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 41.5%✓ | 62.7% |
| Fertility Rate | 2.1✓ | 1.9 |
| Gini Index | 34.4✓ | 42.6 |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 2.9✓ | 3.6 |
Summary
Indonesia has a GDP of $1.54T compared to Mexico's $2.12T, making the latter economy 1.4x larger. In terms of population, Indonesia has 285.7M people while Mexico has 131.9M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Indonesia leads in 7 and Mexico leads in 5.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | Indonesia | Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $1.54T2026 | $2.12T2026 |
| World Bank | $1.45T2025 | $1.83T2025 |
| United Nations | $1.40T2024 | $1.85T2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Indonesia spans about 10% across 2 years; Mexico spans about 16% across 1 year.
| Source | Indonesia | Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $5,3622026 | $15,7792026 |
| World Bank | $5,0602025 | $13,8892025 |
| United Nations | $4,9252024 | $14,1582024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Indonesia spans about 9% across 2 years; Mexico spans about 14% across 1 year.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.