Historic Drop in Perceived Insecurity Noted

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

The figure stands at 58.1 percent—the lowest level in 13 years—according to INEGI’s National Survey of Urban Public Security (ENSU). Claudia Sheinbaum has congratulated the Security Cabinet on these achievements. Nevertheless, six out of every 10 people in cities still feel unsafe; domestic violence affects 8.6% of urban households, with an increase observed among adults and older adults.

The perception of insecurity in Mexican cities decreased by 4.9 percentage points over the last year; however, more than half of the adult population still considers their place of residence to be dangerous. According to the National Survey of Urban Public Security (ENSU) conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), 58.1 percent of individuals aged 18 and older felt unsafe in September 2026, compared to 63 percent in the same month of 2025.

There are significant disparities between cities. Irapuato topped the list at 90.5 percent, followed by Chilpancingo (86.9), Mazatlán (85.8), Puebla (84.5), and Cuernavaca (83.1). Villahermosa, Culiacán, Reynosa, Guadalajara, and Uruapan also exceeded the 80 percent mark. At the opposite end of the spectrum were San Pedro Garza García, at 5.8 percent, and the Benito Juárez borough of Mexico City, at 13.8 percent.

Compared to June, 16 of the 91 cities evaluated showed statistically significant changes: in 10 cities, the perception of insecurity decreased, while in six, it increased. Hermosillo saw the largest rise, climbing from 43.2 to 53.2 percent. San Francisco de Campeche experienced the sharpest decline, dropping by 16.3 percentage points. Culiacán also showed improvement—moving from 90.8 to 81.6 percent—though it remains among the most insecure cities.

A gender gap persists. Among women, 64.2 percent feel unsafe in their city, compared to 50.6 percent among men. This sense of unease is present on public transport, at banks, on roads, and even within the home—where women, in particular, feel less secure (18.6% compared to 12.7%).

Broken down by city, Lázaro Cárdenas saw a 14.6-percentage-point increase in the perception of insecurity among women, while Cuajimalpa saw an 18.2-point decrease. Among men, Hermosillo recorded the largest increase—rising from 33.8% to 48.9%—while San Francisco de Campeche saw the largest reduction, at 17.7 percentage points.

Publicly accessible ATMs are the locations that generate the greatest sense of insecurity, cited by 68.7% of respondents. These are followed by streets and public transport, both of which were identified as unsafe by more than 60% of people. Near their homes, residents most frequently report public alcohol consumption, robberies or assaults, and the sale or use of drugs. Nearly a third of respondents mentioned frequent gunfire.

Compared to 2025, the proportion of people reporting frequent gunfire decreased by 2.8 percentage points. Conversely, the theft or illegal sale of fuel—known as *huachicol*—increased by 0.6 percentage points, reaching 3.6% over the same period.

Insecurity alters daily habits. Four out of every 10 people have stopped carrying valuables, and a similar proportion now restrict minors from going out unaccompanied—an indicator that rose by 1.9 percentage points over the course of a year. More than a third of people have stopped walking near their homes at night.

Nevertheless, issues related to public services remain a greater concern than crime. Potholes were cited by 83.1% of respondents, water leaks by six out of every 10 people, and clogged storm drains by more than half. Crime ranked fourth, at 49.9 percent—down from the 52.6 percent recorded in June.

The Navy, the Army, and the Air Force are the best-rated security institutions, each scoring above 80 percent. The National Guard received 73.5 percent, while state and municipal police forces scored between 50 and 56 percent. Reynosa stood out regarding its municipal police force, for which the perceived level of effectiveness rose from 38.4 to 56 percent.

Regarding the future, opinions are divided: 23.7 percent believe that security will improve, while 22.6 percent believe it will worsen.

CSP acknowledges the work of her cabinet in light of the results.

President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated the Security Cabinet on the decline in the public’s perception of insecurity, as reported by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).

Following the announcement that this indicator had dropped by 4.9 percentage points—according to the National Survey of Urban Public Security (ENSU)—the President noted that this marks the lowest level seen in the last 13 years.

“It is the lowest point since the survey began 13 years ago. In other words, people feel safer—according to the INEGI, based on a survey that has been conducted in the same manner for 13 years. The decline was more pronounced among men, while women still report a higher perception of insecurity,” she stated.

Nevertheless, she remarked that there is still more work to be done. In the meantime, she commended the authorities involved in these efforts.

23.7 percent believe the security situation will improve.

“Today, I offered my sincere congratulations to the Security Cabinet for this result, as well as to everyone carrying out operational duties—the Secretariat of Security, the Secretariat of National Defense, the Navy, and the National Guard,” she said.

She also highlighted the role of the Secretariat of the Interior, specifically regarding its program to address the root causes of violence—an initiative focused on steering young people away from violence and fostering their development.

“The Secretariat of the Interior also deserves recognition, as the coordination of the program addressing root causes contributes to this shift in perception. It is a matter of continuing to work every day to make further progress in reducing crime rates, and consequently, the sense of insecurity that people feel on the streets of their cities,” she said.

The President noted that, in the case of Mexico City, all of the city’s boroughs (alcaldías) were included in the study. In this context, she urged the public to join the strategy against insecurity by reporting illicit acts. 

Family Violence Affects 8.6% of Households in the Country

Violence within the family environment affected 8.6 percent of urban households in the country over the past year—a proportion virtually the same as that of the previous period—though minors were among the victims in a quarter of the homes where such aggression occurred, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi).

Data from the latest quarter of the National Urban Public Security Survey (ENSU) show that 25.5 percent of households experiencing violence included victims under the age of 18, compared to 23.8 percent in the prior period. The overall prevalence increased by one-tenth of a percentage point between the two periods, which span from October to September of each year.

The percentage of adults who experienced some form of aggression in this environment also saw a slight increase—by three-tenths of a percentage point—reaching 7.9 percent. The disparity by gender was more pronounced among women (9.2 percent), whose rate rose by nearly a full percentage point, while the rate for men (6.3 percent) remained virtually unchanged.

Key Fact: The Secretariat for Women reported a 36% decrease in the daily average of femicides, and noted that risk situations were identified in 33% of calls made to the 079 emergency line.

The presence of children and adolescents among the victims aligns with an issue documented in academic research, which draws on hospital records and studies regarding the consequences of violence during childhood. A study published in the scientific journal *BMC Public Health* examined 116,287 medical records of minors who received care for interpersonal violence at public health institutions in Mexico between 2015 and 2022. The study found that 57.1 percent of these cases involved aggression within the family environment.

Magdalena Gruendl, Diana D. del Valle, and seven other researchers identified significant differences based on the sex of the victims. Girls and female adolescents accounted for 68.7 percent of the recorded cases, while males made up 66.1 percent of the perpetrators. The analysis also revealed a higher prevalence of sexual and psychological abuse among women, whereas physical injuries were more common among men.

The consequences are explored in a study by Clara Strasser Ceballos and Anna-Carolina Haensch, published on September 30 in the *Journal of Computational Social Science*. Drawing on data from over 61,000 women and various statistical sources, the researchers identified a link between a history of childhood maltreatment and the risk of experiencing psychological abuse from an intimate partner in adulthood.

The study found that women who had been subjected to abuse during childhood were, on average, 5.1 percentage points more likely to experience such maltreatment as adults compared to those without such a history, even after accounting for other factors in the model. The research also identified an increased risk among individuals whose partners had been exposed to violence during their own childhoods.

Both experts emphasized the importance of examining childhood experiences when studying intimate partner violence. They found that women who possessed greater autonomy—specifically regarding professional decision-making and the management of their own financial resources—were less likely to experience psychological abuse.

In the most recent assessment by the INEGI (National Institute of Statistics and Geography), verbal abuse and humiliation were the most frequently reported forms of mistreatment among adults, with a prevalence of five percent—the same figure as in 2025. However, a breakdown by sex reveals shifts during this period: the percentage rose from 5.9 percent to 6.3 percent among women, while it fell from 4.0 percent to 3.5 percent among men.

Other behaviors documented by the agency include threats of eviction from the home, physical blows, and non-consensual sexual touching. Physical assaults affected 1.9 percent of the female population and 1.5 percent of the male population, while rape or attempted rape reached a prevalence of 0.5 percent among women and 0.1 percent among men.

Another shift is seen in the identification of romantic partners as the primary perpetrators of domestic violence. Their share among the aggressors identified by adult victims rose from 19.5 percent in the 2025 survey to 21.1 percent in the current edition. For women, this figure reached 24.9 percent—nearly a quarter of those who reported abuse within that context.

The report also identifies siblings, parents, and other relatives among the primary aggressors. However, the most frequent category consists of individuals with no specified familial relationship, accounting for 48.9 percent of the reported cases.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), violence against children and adolescents also encompasses disciplinary practices such as shouting, humiliation, and physical punishment. The organization notes that more than half of all children have experienced violent child-rearing methods at home, though this figure is derived from a different measurement than the one used in the ENSU.

The organization warns that abuse within the home constitutes “a violation of children’s rights which, although occurring in the private sphere, affects the entire community.” It also identifies the strengthening of protection systems, the promotion of positive parenting, and shifts in social norms as key measures for preventing such behavior.

Source: La Razón