State of Mexico
Mexico's 2nd largest economy (9% GDP); 8.2M workforce; 74,666 manufacturing units (most in Mexico); $38.7B manufacturing FDI since 1999.
Estado de México is Mexico's second-largest economy, contributing 9% of national GDP and employing 8.2 million people—the country's largest workforce. The state has the highest number of manufacturing economic units nationally (74,666) and hosts 25 industrial developments as of January 2025. Between September 2023 and September 2025, Estado de México led Mexico in job creation with 217,760 new positions.
The state received $2.6 billion in FDI in 2024, ranking second nationally. Since 1999, manufacturing alone has attracted $38.7 billion in FDI—third behind only Mexico City and Nuevo León. Toluca posted $2.37 billion in international sales in 2024, led by motors and generators ($353M) and automotive parts ($234M). Key trading partners include the United States, China, Germany, India, and Canada. Fourteen years without manufacturing sector strikes demonstrate the labor stability that attracted multinationals.
By 2026, Estado de México will test whether proximity to Mexico City remains advantage or constraint. As the capital's sprawl intensifies, the state absorbs both manufacturing growth and urban pressure. If industrial parks maintain expansion and logistics infrastructure improves, the state could sustain its manufacturing identity. If housing demand converts industrial land to residential use or talent migrates to capital-area services, the state may transition from factory floor to bedroom community.