Mexico vs Argentina
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Mexico and Argentina are Latin America's second and third largest economies with strikingly different economic trajectories. Mexico has maintained more macroeconomic stability, with lower inflation, a credible central bank, and deepening US trade integration. Argentina has experienced recurring crises — debt defaults in 2001 and 2020, triple-digit inflation in 2023-2024, and radical economic restructuring. Mexico's economy is roughly twice Argentina's in nominal terms. Mexico's growth model is manufacturing-for-export (primarily to the US), while Argentina's is agricultural exports (soybeans, beef, wine) with a larger but troubled industrial sector.
Mexico has a GDP of $2.12T compared to Argentina's $688.38B, making it 3.1x larger. Mexico's population is 131.9M vs Argentina's 45.9M. Across 12 key indicators, Mexico leads in 8 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Mexico |  Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2.12T✓ | $688.38B |
| GDP per Capita | $15,779✓ | $14,357 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 1.6% | 3.5%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $26,643 | $33,187✓ |
| Population | 131.9M✓ | 45.9M |
| Life Expectancy | 75.3 years | 77.5 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 3.9%✓ | 30.4% |
| Unemployment (%) | 2.7%✓ | 7.2% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 62.7%✓ | 70.4% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.9✓ | 1.5 |
| Gini Index | 42.6 | 42.4✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 3.6✓ | 4 |
Summary
Mexico has a GDP of $2.12T compared to Argentina's $688.38B, making the former economy 3.1x larger. In terms of population, Mexico has 131.9M people while Argentina has 45.9M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Mexico leads in 8 and Argentina leads in 4.
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 | Mexico | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $2.12T2026 | $688.38B2026 |
| World Bank | $1.83T2025 | $683.10B2025 |
| United Nations | $1.85T2024 | $638.37B2024 |
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. Mexico spans about 16% across 1 year; Argentina spans about 8% across 2 years.
| Source | Mexico | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $15,7792026 | $14,3572026 |
| World Bank | $13,8892025 | $14,8982025 |
| United Nations | $14,1582024 | $13,9702024 |
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. Mexico spans about 14% across 1 year; Argentina spans about 7% 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.
MexicoArgentina