Mexico Safety Perceptions Hit 18-Month High Under Sheinbaum

Mexicans are feeling safer in their cities than they have in a year and a half, according to new national survey data that suggests security improvements under President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration.

The National Survey of Urban Public Security found that 61.5% of residents still consider their city unsafe, but that number dropped 2.3 percentage points from late 2025. It marks the lowest insecurity perception since Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, continuing an 18-month downward trend.

Mexico's national statistics agency INEGI surveyed 27,300 households across 91 cities between late February and mid-March 2026. The results show both men and women reporting improved feelings of safety, with crime incidence declining alongside shifting perceptions.

The progress isn't uniform across the country. Some cities bucked the national trend following February violence in Jalisco state, while other communities have emerged as remarkably safe havens.

San Pedro Garza García, an affluent Monterrey suburb, leads the nation with only 4.4% of residents feeling unsafe. Piedras Negras, a border city in Coahuila, follows at 12.9%, while Mexico City's Benito Juárez borough sits at 16.4%.

Saltillo and San Nicolás de los Garza round out the top five safest-feeling cities, all with fewer than one in five residents expressing security concerns. These numbers demonstrate that personal safety is achievable and measurable in Mexican communities.

The Bright Side

The 18-month improvement trend represents something significant: sustained progress rather than a temporary blip. When security perceptions improve consistently over multiple quarters, it suggests underlying changes in both policy and reality.

Women's security perceptions improved nearly as much as men's, dropping 2.2 percentage points compared to 2.5 for men. That matters because women historically report higher insecurity levels, making their improved outlook a meaningful indicator of genuine progress.

The survey also revealed where progress still needs focus. Nearly 71% of respondents feel unsafe using street ATMs, while 65% worry about walking on familiar streets.

Public transportation and highway travel remain concern areas, with 64% and 60% of residents respectively expressing unease. Banks, despite being secure facilities, still make 54% of people feel unsafe.

These specific concerns give policymakers clear targets for improvement. Knowing exactly where people feel vulnerable allows for focused interventions rather than broad, unfocused security efforts.

The data shows that meaningful change is possible when sustained effort meets measurable tracking. Cities that once struggled with security concerns have transformed into places where the vast majority of residents feel safe going about their daily lives.

As Mexico continues this 18-month trajectory, the question shifts from whether improvement is possible to how quickly progress can spread to communities still struggling with security concerns.