What proportion of the population is Indigenous and what is their current social, economic, status in Mexico?
Mexico has the largest indigenous population in Latin America. Forty percent of the continent’s 40 million native peoples inhabit the territory known today as Mexico. Clustered into 56 distinct cultures and a hundred languages. the Indian population is estimated to be between 8-12 million, or 10 to 14% of the total population of 86 million in Mexico. Twenty of the groups have less than 1,000 members, and are in danger of extinction. Some groups, such as the Tojolobales in Chiapas, are practicing Catholics and have little recollection of their history, culture or religion. The natives have the highest indices of poverty, disease, marginalization and levels of malnutrition and illiteracy. Of the 32 states in Mexico, 6 have a high percentage of indigenous people; Chiapas is one them. Despite the fact that Chiapas has enormous industrial and agricultural wealth, it remains one the most impoverished states in Mexico. For example Chiapas produces 55% of Mexico’s hydroelectric energy, 20% of
