Download or read book Social Spending in Mexico: Needs, Priorities and Reforms written by Mrs. Swarnali A Hannan and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2021-10-18 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Poverty in Mexico was high before the COVID-19 pandemic and has been exacerbated by the pandemic, with significant variation across states. Education losses from the pandemic are likely to be large and worsen pre-existing disparities; unless mitigated soon, they could contribute to heightened scarring over the medium term. Using state-level and cross-country comparisons, this paper reviews key social programs as well as priorities in education and health. It finds that higher spending and improved design of social programs (e.g., better targeting) would reduce socioeconomic gaps, mitigate scarring risks, and foster inclusive growth.