The National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure in Mexico reveals an increase in family income, but experts warn that this growth does not necessarily translate into improved well-being. The population’s purchasing power remains eroded because nominal increases fail to outpace inflation, meaning that, in real terms, families have less buying power despite receiving more money. The analysis of the data highlights a deep structural inequality that official statistics tend to downplay. The exclusion of the extremely wealthy from traditional samples obscures the concentration of wealth and social polarization, while for the working class and lower-income sectors, government transfers act as an insufficient patch that fails to address historical deficiencies or guarantee a dignified life. This article is crucial for the field of open data because it demonstrates the critical importance of context in statistical analysis. Raw data are not neutral; their interpretation requires understanding macroeconomic variables such as inflation and wealth distribution to avoid misleading conclusions. Transparency in these indicators enables civil society and researchers to question official narratives and visualize the underlying economic reality with greater accuracy.

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Published on 2023-07-30