Day-to-Day Homicides in the nation Fall Thirty-Seven Percent In the Sheinbaum Administration, Per Official Statistics

The average figure of everyday killings monthly in Mexico has dropped by more than a third since President Claudia Sheinbaum assumed power, according to fresh official data. But, public safety specialists have advised that murder data could fail to indicate enhanced countrywide stability.

Notable Decline in Daily Numbers

Officials reported an average of almost 55 killings a day in last November compared with nearly 87 when the President began the presidential office in the previous September. This data was delivered by the director of the nation's national public security system, Marcela Figueroa Franco, during the president’s daily news conference on Tuesday.

“The result in murders that we’ve had during these past months is extremely significant,” Claudia Sheinbaum remarked, adding that last month the least amount of murders were registered for any single November in the past 10 years.

Historical Context and Government Strategy

Intense drug cartel internal conflicts, alongside the government’s highly military efforts to confront the trafficking organizations, have caused Mexico’s homicide rate escalate in recent years. The rate reached a maximum of 36,773 homicides in 2020, as reported by the country’s official data agency.

That gave Mexico a murder figure more than four times higher than the US. Since then, killings have been on the decrease, dropping to 33,550 last year. Claudia Sheinbaum has linked her public safety plan for an apparently more pronounced drop in killings in the current year.

At a press conference in the summer, the President declared: “We have a strategy, we have oversight of the plan, and there is detailed monitoring municipality by municipality in some cases. The approach is effective. And we have to keep working at it daily.”

The key elements of Sheinbaum’s security strategy involve:

• Strengthening Mexico’s domestic security force.
• Improving intelligence and investigative efforts.
• Enhanced collaboration between government departments.

Expert Skepticism and Statistical Concerns

Nevertheless, public safety analysts cautioned that relying on homicide statistics to draw a conclusion of peace was problematic. This is notably true considering the rise in other crimes such as abductions.

“That would be excellent news if this was a reduction, but I think we shouldn't just concentrate on the murder numbers and say: ‘Alright, great,’” stated Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, an expert on Mexican criminal organizations. “I would be tentatively hopeful.”

As reported by the public policy research thinktank Mexico Evalúa, murders overall fell by more than 20% in the initial 10 months of this year relative to the identical timeframe the previous year. But, disappearances have risen by 15% and in certain regions have increased by up to 200%.

“Data on murders is not valid for estimating the situation of violence,” stated Armando Vargas, a safety analyst at Mexico Evalúa. “Firstly, we have police and investigators who lack the ability or the inclination to properly identify and categorize remains. Second, organised [criminals] … have the means to mask violent acts through abductions.”

Vargas pointed out that relying on month-to-month averages of daily killings was also concerning because it might hide periods when there were especially high numbers of murders.

“Relying on the daily average renders surges of violent crime invisible,” he said.

Detentions and Seizures as Measures of Progress

An area where the government can point to the effectiveness of its security strategy is on detentions and seizures. Almost 40,000 individuals were apprehended between October 2024 and November 2025 for major crimes, according to government data. Over 20,000 guns were taken and 311 tons of drugs intercepted.

“The former US president can't accuse President Sheinbaum of not acting, because actually she is doing a lot with these many thousands of detentions, many thousands of confiscations, and all the operational weakening of criminal groups. It’s highly politically beneficial,” stated Vargas.

Ongoing Violence and Societal Frustration

However despite these measures, Mexico is still beset by high bloodshed, with multiple states in the throes of cartel-related bloodshed. In the previous month there was a high-profile killing of a well-liked mayor in the region of Michoacan, one of 10 mayors assassinated in the past 12 months.

A short time after, thousands of protesters protested in the capital and across the country to voice their outrage at corruption and drug violence.

“The federal government presents [data] in a manner to construct a story of safety. Politically it’s very potent, socially it’s highly questionable,” Vargas said.