Everyday Killings in the nation Fall Thirty-Seven Percent In the Sheinbaum Administration, As per Government Statistics

The mean figure of per-day killings monthly in Mexico has decreased by 37% since Head of State Claudia Sheinbaum assumed power, per recent administrative figures. But, public safety specialists have cautioned that homicide data may not indicate better national safety.

Marked Drop in Per-Day Figures

Officials reported an average of nearly 55 killings a day in the month of November versus nearly 87 when Claudia Sheinbaum took the leadership in the previous September. This information was delivered by the head of the nation's national public security system, Marcela Figueroa Franco, during the president’s regular press briefing on Tuesday.

“The figures in homicides that have been recorded in these past months is remarkably important,” Claudia Sheinbaum stated, explaining that last month the least number of murders were registered for any November in the last decade.

Historical Background and Official Plan

Intense cartel internal conflicts, combined with the government’s highly militarised campaigns to confront the cartels, have led to Mexico’s murder rate escalate in recent times. The rate reached a peak of 36,773 killings in 2020, according to the nation's official data agency.

That gave Mexico a homicide rate more than 4x higher than the US. From that point, murders have been on the decline, falling to 33,550 last year. Sheinbaum has credited her national security approach for an seemingly sharper drop in homicides in the current year.

At a news briefing in the summer, the Mexican leader declared: “There is a plan, there is oversight of the strategy, and there is detailed monitoring town by town in certain cases. The strategy functions. And we have to keep working at it every day.”

The key elements of the President's safety plan involve:

• Bolstering Mexico’s national guard.
• Improving intelligence and investigation capabilities.
• Increased collaboration between government departments.

Analyst Skepticism and Statistical Limitations

But, security experts cautioned that using murder statistics to assess the situation of peace was problematic. This is particularly true considering the increase in other criminal activities such as people going missing.

“This would be excellent information if this was a drop, but I think we must not just look at the homicide numbers and think: ‘Well then, great,’” stated Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, an specialist on Mexico's organised crime. “I would be tentatively hopeful.”

As reported by the public policy research thinktank Mexico Evalúa, homicides in total dropped by over 20% in the initial 10 months of the current year compared with the identical timeframe the previous year. But, disappearances have gone up by 15% and in certain regions have increased by up to 200%.

“Statistics on homicides is not reliable for gauging the reality of public insecurity,” argued Armando Vargas, a safety analyst at Mexico Evalúa. “First, we have police and investigators who do not have the capacity or the inclination to properly identify and categorize remains. Second, organized [criminals] … have the capability to mask violent acts through disappearances.”

Vargas noted that relying on monthly averages of daily homicides was similarly concerning because it could obscure days when there were especially high numbers of murders.

“Using the daily average makes high peaks of violent crime invisible,” he said.

Arrests and Confiscations as Measures of Progress

Where the government can point to the effectiveness of its safety plan is on arrests and seizures. Nearly 40,000 people were detained between last October and November 2025 for high-impact offenses, per government figures. More than 20,000 weapons were taken and 311 tons of drugs confiscated.

“Donald Trump cannot claim President Sheinbaum of inaction, because in reality she is doing a lot with these many thousands of arrests, many thousands of confiscations, and all the tactical weakening of organised crime. It’s extremely politically profitable,” stated Vargas.

Ongoing Unrest and Public Frustration

But despite these measures, Mexico continues to be beset by severe bloodshed, with a number of regions in the grip of cartel-driven violence. In the previous month there was a notable assassination of a popular mayor in the region of Michoacan, one of 10 local leaders murdered in the past year.

A short time after, thousands of young people protested in Mexico City and across the country to express their frustration at corruption and cartel violence.

“The administration shares [data] in a manner to construct a narrative of improvement. From a political standpoint it’s very successful, socially it’s extremely questionable,” the analyst concluded.