🔗 Share this article Daily Homicides in Mexico Decline Thirty-Seven Percent During the Sheinbaum Administration, As per Government Statistics The average figure of per-day killings monthly in Mexico has decreased by more than a third since President Claudia Sheinbaum began her term, per fresh government data. Nevertheless, public safety specialists have warned that homicide data may not point to improved countrywide stability. Marked Drop in Per-Day Numbers Officials reported an mean of almost 55 killings a day in the month of November compared with nearly 87 when Claudia Sheinbaum took the leadership in the previous September. This information was shared by the chief of the nation's federal safety system, Marcela Figueroa Franco, during the leader's daily news conference on Tuesday. “The outcome in homicides that have been recorded during these past months is extremely notable,” Claudia Sheinbaum remarked, noting that in November the lowest number of murders were registered for any single November in the past 10 years. Historical Background and Official Plan Fierce organized crime internal conflicts, coupled with the government’s highly military campaigns to take on the cartels, have led to Mexico’s homicide numbers soar in recent years. The rate hit a maximum of 36,773 homicides in 2020, according to the country’s official data office. That resulted in Mexico a murder figure over 4x greater than that of the United States. However, homicides have been on the decline, falling to 33,550 the previous year. Claudia Sheinbaum has linked her public safety plan for an ostensibly steeper drop in homicides this year. At a news briefing in August, the Mexican leader declared: “We have a plan, there is monitoring of the plan, and we have specific tracking municipality by municipality in certain cases. The strategy functions. And we have to keep working at it each day.” The key elements of the President's security strategy involve: Reinforcing Mexico’s domestic security force. Advancing information gathering and investigation capabilities. Enhanced cooperation between various authorities. Analyst Caution and Data Limitations Nevertheless, public safety researchers urged caution that focusing solely on homicide data to paint a picture of peace was problematic. This is particularly true in light of the rise in other criminal activities such as people going missing. “It would be very good news if this was a decrease, but I think we must not just look at the homicide numbers and conclude: ‘Alright, great,’” commented Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, an specialist on Mexico's criminal organizations. “I would be cautiously positive.” According to the policy analysis thinktank Mexico Evalúa, homicides in total declined by more than 20% in the first 10 months of the current year compared with the same period last year. But, disappearances have gone up by 15% and in some regions have increased by as much as 200%. “Data on murders is not reliable for assessing the situation of violence,” stated Armando Vargas, a safety analyst at Mexico Evalúa. “Firstly, we have police and investigators who do not have the ability or the desire to accurately recognize and categorize remains. Second, organized [criminals] … have the means to hide violent acts through disappearances.” Vargas pointed out that relying on month-to-month averages of daily homicides was similarly an issue because it could mask days when there were particularly spiking levels of murders. “Relying on the per-day mean renders surges of violence less visible,” he concluded. Arrests and Confiscations as Measures of Success An area where the government can highlight the effectiveness of its security strategy is on arrests and seizures. Nearly 40,000 suspects were apprehended between October 2024 and November 2025 for major offenses, per government figures. More than 20,000 firearms were taken and 311 tonnes of narcotics seized. “The former US president cannot claim President Sheinbaum of doing nothing, because in reality she is doing a lot with these many thousands of detentions, thousands of seizures, and all the tactical degrading of criminal groups. It’s highly in political terms profitable,” said Vargas. Ongoing Violence and Public Anger Yet notwithstanding these actions, Mexico remains grappling with extreme bloodshed, with a number of states in the grip of cartel-fueled conflict. Recently there was a high-profile killing of a popular local official in the state of Michoacan, one of 10 mayors assassinated in the last year. A short time later, many thousands of young people took to the streets in the capital and across the country to show their frustration at graft and drug violence. “The federal government presents [data] in a way to create a narrative of safety. From a political standpoint it’s extremely effective, socially it’s extremely questionable,” Vargas concluded.
The average figure of per-day killings monthly in Mexico has decreased by more than a third since President Claudia Sheinbaum began her term, per fresh government data. Nevertheless, public safety specialists have warned that homicide data may not point to improved countrywide stability. Marked Drop in Per-Day Numbers Officials reported an mean of almost 55 killings a day in the month of November compared with nearly 87 when Claudia Sheinbaum took the leadership in the previous September. This information was shared by the chief of the nation's federal safety system, Marcela Figueroa Franco, during the leader's daily news conference on Tuesday. “The outcome in homicides that have been recorded during these past months is extremely notable,” Claudia Sheinbaum remarked, noting that in November the lowest number of murders were registered for any single November in the past 10 years. Historical Background and Official Plan Fierce organized crime internal conflicts, coupled with the government’s highly military campaigns to take on the cartels, have led to Mexico’s homicide numbers soar in recent years. The rate hit a maximum of 36,773 homicides in 2020, according to the country’s official data office. That resulted in Mexico a murder figure over 4x greater than that of the United States. However, homicides have been on the decline, falling to 33,550 the previous year. Claudia Sheinbaum has linked her public safety plan for an ostensibly steeper drop in homicides this year. At a news briefing in August, the Mexican leader declared: “We have a plan, there is monitoring of the plan, and we have specific tracking municipality by municipality in certain cases. The strategy functions. And we have to keep working at it each day.” The key elements of the President's security strategy involve: Reinforcing Mexico’s domestic security force. Advancing information gathering and investigation capabilities. Enhanced cooperation between various authorities. Analyst Caution and Data Limitations Nevertheless, public safety researchers urged caution that focusing solely on homicide data to paint a picture of peace was problematic. This is particularly true in light of the rise in other criminal activities such as people going missing. “It would be very good news if this was a decrease, but I think we must not just look at the homicide numbers and conclude: ‘Alright, great,’” commented Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, an specialist on Mexico's criminal organizations. “I would be cautiously positive.” According to the policy analysis thinktank Mexico Evalúa, homicides in total declined by more than 20% in the first 10 months of the current year compared with the same period last year. But, disappearances have gone up by 15% and in some regions have increased by as much as 200%. “Data on murders is not reliable for assessing the situation of violence,” stated Armando Vargas, a safety analyst at Mexico Evalúa. “Firstly, we have police and investigators who do not have the ability or the desire to accurately recognize and categorize remains. Second, organized [criminals] … have the means to hide violent acts through disappearances.” Vargas pointed out that relying on month-to-month averages of daily homicides was similarly an issue because it could mask days when there were particularly spiking levels of murders. “Relying on the per-day mean renders surges of violence less visible,” he concluded. Arrests and Confiscations as Measures of Success An area where the government can highlight the effectiveness of its security strategy is on arrests and seizures. Nearly 40,000 suspects were apprehended between October 2024 and November 2025 for major offenses, per government figures. More than 20,000 firearms were taken and 311 tonnes of narcotics seized. “The former US president cannot claim President Sheinbaum of doing nothing, because in reality she is doing a lot with these many thousands of detentions, thousands of seizures, and all the tactical degrading of criminal groups. It’s highly in political terms profitable,” said Vargas. Ongoing Violence and Public Anger Yet notwithstanding these actions, Mexico remains grappling with extreme bloodshed, with a number of states in the grip of cartel-fueled conflict. Recently there was a high-profile killing of a popular local official in the state of Michoacan, one of 10 mayors assassinated in the last year. A short time later, many thousands of young people took to the streets in the capital and across the country to show their frustration at graft and drug violence. “The federal government presents [data] in a way to create a narrative of safety. From a political standpoint it’s extremely effective, socially it’s extremely questionable,” Vargas concluded.