Mexico is getting closer and closer to being a country with a single population majority according to the 2020 Population and Housing Census, carried out by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi). 34.2% of the population is single, while 35.4% is married.
The entity with the highest number of single population is Mexico City, with 38.1% versus 29.9% of married couples. Singles are concentrated in the Cuauhtémoc, Benito Juárez, and Miguel Hidalgo municipalities, while the married ones in Milpa Alta, Xochimilco, and Tláhuac.
The state with the highest number of married people is Zacatecas, with 44 percent of its adult population. With respect to the free union, Quintana Roo leads the category with 26 percent; while Guanajuato registers the lowest percentage: 12.3.
Carlos Welti Chanes, from the Social Research Institute (IIS) of the UNAM, explained: that radical change is in the population segment of single women between 20 and 24 years old, who represent more than 50 percent, which shows "a transformation in their social status.
"It is unprecedented. It reflects the growth of women who work beyond domestic chores, in a remunerated activity. It is a sign of social change, it also represents an increase in their level of education," she added.
Therefore, such simple data indicates that they fulfill the traditional role of wife or spouse, even mother, and have the recognition and the possibility of fulfilling other roles, shown in the demographic aspect.
"What is striking is this transformation in marital union .Not only did the percentage of single women increase, but the percentage of women who declare themselves in free union increased, that is, there is no legal or social formalization in general terms of their union, "said Welti Chanes.
These transformations, indicated the university specialist, will be seen in reproductive patterns, and also in a dilemma about the future -in the case of young people- who cannot accept commitments, such as marital union, or having children, due to that the levels of economic uncertainty increased.
"Young people cannot take that risk of assuming roles that mean additional responsibilities to those they already have, due to the situation we live in society," he emphasized.
Abigail Vanessa Rojas Huerta, from the Institute of Geography (IGg), indicated that the Mexican capital is "expelling" inhabitants. It is no longer an entity that receives and in which one can live because it is costly.
The specialist pointed out that according to the figures provided by INEGI, there are municipalities that have a higher proportion or percentage of single people:
"When you consider other types of variables, you realize that this is due to issues such as proximity or contact with educational institutions or schools. In addition to being places where infrastructure has been invested, in neighborhoods such as Condesa, Roma and Doctors, with more real estate, buildings and work centers, " she added.
In general, the capital of the country has a more significant number of single men than women. By age groups, 77 percent of the capital residents between 20 and 24 years old told the interviewers that they were in this condition; 55 percent of the 25-29-year-old segment are also single.
"Capital women increasingly delay their maternity calendar, due to various roles and opportunities, among which are academic ones, with this the number of births has decreased," concluded Rojas Huerta.
Traducción: Valentina K. Yanes