Mexico vs Indonesia
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Mexico and Indonesia compete as the leading "China+1" manufacturing destinations. Mexico offers proximity to the US market and USMCA trade benefits, while Indonesia offers lower labor costs, abundant natural resources, and access to ASEAN's 680 million consumers. Both have large young populations (~130M each) and growing middle classes. Mexico's automotive and aerospace sectors are more developed, while Indonesia leads in minerals processing and palm oil. Both economies have achieved more macro stability than in previous decades, with moderate inflation and floating exchange rates.
Mexico has a GDP of $2.12T compared to Indonesia's $1.54T, making it 1.4x larger. Mexico's population is 131.9M vs Indonesia's 285.7M. 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 |  Mexico |  Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2.12T✓ | $1.54T |
| GDP per Capita | $15,779✓ | $5,362 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 1.6% | 5.0%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $26,643✓ | $18,973 |
| Population | 131.9M | 285.7M✓ |
| Life Expectancy | 75.3 years✓ | 71.3 years |
| Inflation (%) | 3.9% | 3.0%✓ |
| Unemployment (%) | 2.7%✓ | 4.9% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 62.7% | 41.5%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1.9 | 2.1✓ |
| Gini Index | 42.6 | 34.4✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 3.6 | 2.9✓ |
Summary
Mexico has a GDP of $2.12T compared to Indonesia's $1.54T, making the former economy 1.4x larger. In terms of population, Mexico has 131.9M people while Indonesia has 285.7M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Mexico leads in 5 and Indonesia leads in 7.
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 | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $2.12T2026 | $1.54T2026 |
| World Bank | $1.83T2025 | $1.45T2025 |
| United Nations | $1.85T2024 | $1.40T2024 |
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; Indonesia spans about 10% across 2 years.
| Source | Mexico | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $15,7792026 | $5,3622026 |
| World Bank | $13,8892025 | $5,0602025 |
| United Nations | $14,1582024 | $4,9252024 |
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; Indonesia spans about 9% across 2 years.
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.
MexicoIndonesia