Nutritional Intake and Poverty in Mexico: 1984–2010

Abstract

Using nutritional information of food items acquired by each household, we evaluate how Mexico's nutritional deficiency (calorie and protein) has changed over time. Our extensive dataset combines household surveys from 1984, 1989, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. We find per capita calorie intake has decreased over time for both urban and rural households. The pattern is similar to the case of India, where a decline in calorie intake between 1983 and 2005 has been documented. In both urban and rural areas, nutritional deficiency is increasing over time. Unlike the case of India, we find strong declines in calorie intake for the bottom expenditure quartile of the population. We find that increased prices of nutrients can only partly explain the calorie and protein intake drop.