you ask who has the required age as to whether the country sees that today is better than 30 or 40 years.
you will see more than you think you are going to say no, three or four decades ago the country was better.
However, those who failed to see Mexico for a long time do not think so.
few days ago talking to a person who worked in our nation in the early 90's and just returned, and I noted that it was impressive the perceived positive change in our country in recent 20.
It is similar with foreign investors. While not failing to recognize the problems that exist in many cases tend to see many advantages in our economy, and the ability of labor or the size of our domestic market, which seldom appreciate locally.
Some examples of long-term differences.
GDP per capita in real terms in 1981, three decades ago, was 69 thousand 174 pesos at 2008 prices. This year is estimated at 84 000 469, which means that today there is a higher income by 22 percent.
But see another relevant indicator.
In 1970, only 6.3 percent of population aged over 15 had completed secondary level or higher. In 2010, this percentage was 35.8 percent, almost six times the proportion of three decades ago.
At the other extreme, 70.5 percent of the population over 15 years was out of school or just complete primary school. That percentage is now 19.8 percent, ie a fall of 71 percent.
The infant mortality rate is one of the most important development indicators. Just in 1990 there were 39.2 deaths within a year per thousand births. This parameter was of 13.7 per thousand last year.
I will not bore you with more indicators but development indicators can be displayed in abundance.
This, of course, does not mean you ignore the 50 percent of poor people in the country, nor the slow growth of the economy over the past two decades.
How can we explain the fact that the face of these developments there is a perception that things have worsened in Mexico?
I think there are two explanations.
One has to do with insecurity. Not only public insecurity, but legal, employment, social relationships, in families, in the future.
Increased insecurity deteriorates our quality of life and makes us believe that the past was better.
The other aspect is about unfulfilled expectations. Beyond the improvements achieved, we have gained a sense of missed opportunities.
Those old enough may remember that in the 90 perceived the possibility of making Mexico a developed nation, which was frustrated by the 1995 crisis and the disaster it caused.
Then, when political change occurred in 2000 also seemed to come a chance to make a big jump, which also was frustrated.
It appears that for years live with that paradox of which we speak, it is not perceived in the short term a real possibility that the country can take that giant leap to convince us that we are now really better.
you will see more than you think you are going to say no, three or four decades ago the country was better.
However, those who failed to see Mexico for a long time do not think so.
few days ago talking to a person who worked in our nation in the early 90's and just returned, and I noted that it was impressive the perceived positive change in our country in recent 20.
It is similar with foreign investors. While not failing to recognize the problems that exist in many cases tend to see many advantages in our economy, and the ability of labor or the size of our domestic market, which seldom appreciate locally.
Some examples of long-term differences.
GDP per capita in real terms in 1981, three decades ago, was 69 thousand 174 pesos at 2008 prices. This year is estimated at 84 000 469, which means that today there is a higher income by 22 percent.
But see another relevant indicator.
In 1970, only 6.3 percent of population aged over 15 had completed secondary level or higher. In 2010, this percentage was 35.8 percent, almost six times the proportion of three decades ago.
At the other extreme, 70.5 percent of the population over 15 years was out of school or just complete primary school. That percentage is now 19.8 percent, ie a fall of 71 percent.
The infant mortality rate is one of the most important development indicators. Just in 1990 there were 39.2 deaths within a year per thousand births. This parameter was of 13.7 per thousand last year.
I will not bore you with more indicators but development indicators can be displayed in abundance.
This, of course, does not mean you ignore the 50 percent of poor people in the country, nor the slow growth of the economy over the past two decades.
How can we explain the fact that the face of these developments there is a perception that things have worsened in Mexico?
I think there are two explanations.
One has to do with insecurity. Not only public insecurity, but legal, employment, social relationships, in families, in the future.
Increased insecurity deteriorates our quality of life and makes us believe that the past was better.
The other aspect is about unfulfilled expectations. Beyond the improvements achieved, we have gained a sense of missed opportunities.
Those old enough may remember that in the 90 perceived the possibility of making Mexico a developed nation, which was frustrated by the 1995 crisis and the disaster it caused.
Then, when political change occurred in 2000 also seemed to come a chance to make a big jump, which also was frustrated.
It appears that for years live with that paradox of which we speak, it is not perceived in the short term a real possibility that the country can take that giant leap to convince us that we are now really better.
Enrique Quintana
enrique.quintana @ reforma.com
enrique.quintana @ reforma.com
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