Yes, Facebook is available and widely used in Mexico. As of 2022, Mexico had around 87 million Facebook users, making it the 6th largest market for Facebook worldwide. Facebook has become an integral part of digital life for many Mexicans who use it to stay connected with friends and family, get news and information, and engage with businesses, brands, politicians, celebrities and more.
Facebook Usage and Popularity in Mexico
According to Statista, as of January 2022 there were an estimated 87 million Facebook users in Mexico. This represents around 66% of the country’s total population. Mexico is Facebook’s 6th largest market globally, behind only India, Indonesia, the United States, Brazil and the Philippines.
Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform in Mexico. A 2021 survey by Statista found that 95% of social media users in Mexico had a Facebook account. This was significantly higher than other platforms like WhatsApp (71%), Instagram (53%), Twitter (48%) and TikTok (38%).
The growth of Facebook in Mexico has mirrored the country’s rapid adoption of internet and smartphone technology over the past decade. Internet penetration has risen from less than 30% in 2010 to almost 80% in 2022. Smartphone penetration is around 85%. This has allowed more Mexicans to get online and access social media platforms like Facebook.
How Mexicans Use Facebook
Mexicans use Facebook for many of the same reasons as people do worldwide:
- Staying in touch with friends and family – Facebook is used extensively for sharing photos, life updates, messaging, and coordinating gatherings and events.
- Following news and trends – 63% of Mexican Facebook users say they get news from Facebook. Major news outlets and journalists have a significant Facebook presence.
- Entertainment – sharing funny videos, memes, gossip, and pop culture chatter.
- Brand engagement – over 50 million Mexican Facebook users follow business pages and interact with brands.
- Political engagement – Facebook has become an important platform for political debate and activism in Mexico.
- Local discussion – Facebook groups have formed around communities, hobbies, businesses and local issues.
Many Mexicans access Facebook primarily via mobile devices rather than computers. As smartphone adoption has spread beyond middle and upper class urban areas, Facebook has become ingrained across all demographics including lower income and rural Mexicans.
Facebook’s Growing Role in Business, Politics and News
Facebook has greatly impacted business, political engagement and news media in Mexico:
- Business – Many Mexican businesses and brands maintain Facebook pages to market products, run ads and engage customers. 50 million+ Mexican users follow business pages. Facebook has become integral to digital marketing and e-commerce.
- Politics – Facebook is an important platform for political debate, activism, campaigning and misinformation. Politicians and parties actively court the “Facebook vote”. Facebook helped amplify the student activist movement #YoSoy132 against electoral fraud in 2012.
- News media – Traditional news outlets and prominent journalists have embraced Facebook to drive traffic, engagement and revenue. 63% of Mexican Facebook users get news there. But Facebook has also facilitated the spread of “fake news” and misinformation.
Facebook usage skews young – 98% of 18-24 year olds in Mexico use it. But usage remains high across older demographics. Facebook has also become popular in rural areas and among lower income Mexicans as smartphone access spreads.
Internet Infrastructure Enabling Facebook’s Growth
Rapid growth in Internet access has fueled Facebook’s rise in Mexico:
- Internet penetration has risen from under 30% in 2010 to almost 80% in 2022.
- Broadband coverage reached 71% by 2020 after major infrastructure investments.
- Mobile broadband penetration hit 85% in 2020 with nationwide 4G rollout.
- Public WiFi hotspots have expanded with government initiatives like Mexico Conectado.
- Declining data costs have made mobile social media affordable to more Mexicans.
This infrastructure has allowed Facebook to scale across Mexico’s large population dispersed across varied geography. However, rural and low income groups still face connectivity challenges.
Facebook’s Efforts to Expand Access in Mexico
To further its growth, Facebook has undertaken initiatives to expand Internet access in Mexico:
- Facebook has funded public WiFi hotspots in partnership with the Mexican government.
- They have worked with mobile carriers and regulators to expand connectivity.
- Initiatives like Facebook Flex and Data for All provide Mexicans free or discounted data access to Facebook services.
- A Facebook Engineering center in Mexico City employs hundreds focused on improving Internet access.
These initiatives have helped introduce new demographics like rural, low income and elderly Mexicans to Facebook for the first time. However, critics argue Facebook’s approach is self-serving and circumvents broader barriers to universal, affordable Internet in Mexico.
Regulation of Facebook in Mexico
Facebook faces some government regulation and scrutiny in Mexico, but less than in many other countries:
- Mexico’s relatively new data protection laws impose some privacy standards.
- Facebook has faced some criticism and fines over alleged anticompetitive practices.
- There are concerns around political misinformation on Facebook, but no major crackdowns yet.
- The Mexican government has not taken as proactive an approach to regulating social media as nations like Germany and Australia.
However, regulation remains light overall. Facebook and other tech giants have significant leeway in Mexico. Critics argue stronger consumer protections and accountability are needed as Facebook continues growing its user base and ad revenues in Mexico.
Conclusion
Facebook has become hugely popular in Mexico, a critical market with over 87 million users. Its growth has been enabled by surging Internet and smartphone penetration. Mexicans use Facebook to stay connected with friends, get news, engage with brands and politics, and more. While Facebook usage spans demographics, growth remains strong among youth. Looking ahead, Facebook will likely remain highly influential in Mexico despite calls for more regulation. Its efforts to expand access will bring more Mexicans online via Facebook as their first digital experience.