Day-to-Day Murders in the nation Fall Thirty-Seven Percent During Claudia Sheinbaum, According to Official Figures

The typical number of everyday murders each month in Mexico has decreased by more than a third since President Claudia Sheinbaum assumed power, as stated by new government statistics. But, public safety analysts have warned that murder numbers may not indicate better national stability.

Significant Reduction in Daily Numbers

There was an mean of almost 55 killings a day in the month of November versus nearly 87 when Sheinbaum began the leadership in September of last year. This information was delivered by the chief of the nation's national public security system, Marcela Figueroa Franco, during the leader's daily news conference on Tuesday.

“The outcome in murders that have been recorded over these months is very important,” the President stated, explaining that the previous month the least number of murders were registered for any November in the past 10 years.

Recent Context and Official Strategy

Violent cartel infighting, alongside the administration's heavily military efforts to take on the cartels, have caused Mexico’s homicide numbers escalate in the past few years. The rate reached a record high of 36,773 killings in 2020, as reported by the country’s national statistics agency.

That resulted in Mexico a murder rate over 4x greater than the United States. However, killings have been on the decline, declining to 33,550 the previous year. Sheinbaum has linked her national security plan for an apparently steeper reduction in homicides this year.

At a press conference in the summer, the Mexican leader stated: “We have a strategy, we have tracking of the strategy, and there is detailed tracking locality by locality in certain cases. The plan works. And we have to continue working at it each day.”

The key components of Sheinbaum’s safety strategy involve:

• Reinforcing Mexico’s domestic security force.
• Enhancing information gathering and investigation efforts.
• Increased collaboration between various agencies.

Analyst Skepticism and Data Concerns

Nevertheless, security analysts cautioned that using murder data to assess the situation of peace was flawed. This is notably true considering the increase in different criminal activities such as abductions.

“This would be positive information if this was a reduction, but I think we can’t just concentrate on the murder data and conclude: ‘Well then, good,’” stated Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, an specialist on Mexican organised crime. “I would be guardedly positive.”

According to the policy research thinktank Mexico Evalúa, homicides in total dropped by over 20% in the first 10 months of this year versus the same timeframe last year. But, missing persons cases have risen by 15% and in certain states have increased by as much as 200%.

“Data on murders is not reliable for estimating the situation of violence,” said Armando Vargas, a safety expert at Mexico Evalúa. “First, we have law enforcement and investigators who do not have the capacity or the will to correctly identify and classify remains. Second, organized [criminals] … have the means to conceal violence through disappearances.”

Vargas added that using monthly means of daily homicides was also an issue because it could obscure periods when there were particularly spiking numbers of murders.

“Relying on the daily average renders spikes of violence less visible,” he stated.

Detentions and Seizures as Measures of Success

An area where the administration can cite the effectiveness of its safety plan is on detentions and confiscations. Nearly 40,000 individuals were detained between October 2024 and November 2025 for high-impact crimes, according to government figures. Over 20,000 firearms were seized and 311 tons of narcotics intercepted.

“Donald Trump cannot claim President Sheinbaum of doing nothing, because in reality she is accomplishing a lot with these thousands of arrests, thousands of confiscations, and all the operational weakening of organised crime. It’s very politically profitable,” stated Vargas.

Ongoing Violence and Public Anger

But despite these efforts, Mexico is still plagued by extreme violence, with several states in the grip of cartel-fueled bloodshed. Last month there was a prominent assassination of a well-liked mayor in the state of Michoacan, one of 10 mayors murdered in the last 12 months.

A short time later, thousands of young people demonstrated in the capital and throughout the nation to express their frustration at graft and narco-violence.

“The federal government shares [data] in a manner to create a story of safety. From a political standpoint it’s highly successful, from a social perspective it’s very debatable,” the analyst said.