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Jalisco

Jalisco is Mexico's fourth-largest economy and its fifth-largest exporter.

Capital: Guadalajara · Area: 78,596 km² · Checked 3 Nov 2026

AguascalientesBaja CaliforniaBaja California SurCampecheChiapasChihuahuaCoahuilaColimaDurangoGuanajuatoGuerreroHidalgoMexico CityMichoacánMorelosNayaritNuevo LeónOaxacaPueblaQuerétaroQuintana RooSan Luis PotosíSinaloaSonoraState of MexicoTabascoTamaulipasTlaxcalaVeracruzYucatánZacatecasJalisco
The Texas-Facing NorthThe Pacific BorderThe Bajío and Center-NorthThe CenterThe WestThe Gulf and the IsthmusThe PeninsulaThe Deep South: Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas
Guadalajara, looking north
Guadalajara, looking north Photo: Isacdaavid, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The numbers

Jalisco at a glance

People8.63 million2025 1
Median age31.5 years2025 1
Share of Mexico's output7.55%2024 2
Economic activity−1.1%Q1 2026 15
ExportsUS$52.73 bn2025 3
Exports, latest quarterUS$23.59 bnQ2 2026 · +130.8% on a year · 2nd of 32 9
Foreign direct investmentUS$1.26 bn2025 · 7th of 32 10
Formal private jobs (IMSS)2,058,578Jul 2026 · +0.9% on a year 7
Average daily wage (IMSS)658.55 pesosJul 2026 · Mexico 673.9 · 10th of 32 7
Informal work46.5%Q2 2026 · Mexico 55.1% 6
Unemployment2.5%Dec 2025 6
IMMEX export plants419Apr 2026 · 419 a year earlier 16
Its story

This is Jalisco

Guadalajara reached its present site in 1542 after moving four times, and its university's official founding dates to 1792. Tequila takes its name from a town northwest of the capital; it is made from blue agave grown in a small region of Jalisco, and the agave fields of the Tequila Valley are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tonalá became the centre of ceramic production because of its abundant raw materials, and mariachi is thought to have originated in Cocula. Guadalajara's industry rests especially on electronics. The 2020 census counted 8,348,151 residents. In 2010 Huichol, with 18,409 speakers, was the most common Indigenous language, and the Wixárika communities are concentrated in Mezquitic and Bolaños in the north of the state. 19

A street in Tequila
A street in Tequila Photo: Gabriel Saldana, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
For a company coming in

Who it suits

Jalisco suits a company that needs engineers more than operators and ships light goods by air, and suits less well one needing a large block of power soon or the lowest operator wage. 5

Guadalajara suits electronics, contract manufacturing, AI servers, semiconductor design and test, software, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and distribution to Mexican consumers; Tetakawi called it, in 2022, the distribution hub for the Mexican market. A company that needs engineers more than operators, ships light, high-value goods by air, or brings components across the Pacific will find more of what it needs here than anywhere else in Mexico. It suits a company less well if it needs a large block of power soon, a very large building quickly, or the lowest operator wage.

From Book 6, Where to Go in Mexico, chapter 17.

What to check first

  1. Start with power: ask CFE in writing what it can connect at the candidate park and when, and ask whether the park self-supplies.
  2. Confirm that the developer is certified under the April 2026 agreement and that the site sits in one of the 8 municipalities.
  3. Get the latest vacancy figure for the submarket from at least 2 brokers, because published figures vary from 1.2% to 6.0% within a year.
  4. Choose the port and the route before the site, and check the security of the highway the trucks will use, not the state average.
  5. In Colima and on the coast, have the structure checked against zone D.
  6. For Michoacán and Sinaloa, ask IMSS for the series in the municipality itself, because state totals are moving.

Weighing Jalisco for a plant, a warehouse or an office? Work with us.

What it makes

Industry and plants

Five of the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturers operate here (APIEJ, July 2026). It held 7.6% of IMMEX employment in July 2026 (INEGI). 5

Jalisco had 2,058,578 IMSS-insured workers in July 2026, up 0.94% in a year (IIEG, state statistics). The state economy secretariat reported 2.5% unemployment and 46.9% informality at the close of 2025, against 55.41 nationally. 5

From Book 6, Where to Go in Mexico, Part V.

Output by sector, 2024

Share of the state’s output, current prices 17

58%services
  • 58.2%Services +1.8% real, 2024
  • 27.1%Industry: manufacturing, construction, energy, mining −1.4% real, 2024
  • 7.6%Agriculture, livestock, fishing +2.5% real, 2024
  • 7.1%Taxes on products, net
Where it stands

Among the 32, measure by measure

Each bar is one state, largest on the left, in the colour of its corridor; Jalisco is the bright one with the white edge. 1 2 3 7 6

People, 20253rd of 328.6 m 1
State of Mexico: 17.6 mMexico City: 9.2 mJalisco: 8.6 mVeracruz: 7.9 mPuebla: 6.8 mGuanajuato: 6.4 mNuevo León: 6.3 mChiapas: 5.8 mMichoacán: 4.9 mOaxaca: 4.2 mBaja California: 4.0 mChihuahua: 3.9 mTamaulipas: 3.6 mCoahuila: 3.4 mGuerrero: 3.4 mHidalgo: 3.2 mSinaloa: 3.1 mSonora: 3.0 mSan Luis Potosí: 2.9 mQuerétaro: 2.6 mTabasco: 2.5 mYucatán: 2.5 mQuintana Roo: 2.1 mMorelos: 2.0 mDurango: 1.9 mZacatecas: 1.7 mAguascalientes: 1.5 mTlaxcala: 1.4 mNayarit: 1.3 mCampeche: 1.0 mBaja California Sur: 1.0 mColima: 0.8 m
Share of Mexico’s output, 20244th of 327.6% 2
Mexico City: 15.0%State of Mexico: 9.1%Nuevo León: 8.1%Jalisco: 7.6%Guanajuato: 4.5%Veracruz: 4.3%Baja California: 3.9%Chihuahua: 3.8%Coahuila: 3.7%Puebla: 3.5%Sonora: 3.3%Tamaulipas: 3.0%Michoacán: 2.8%Querétaro: 2.4%San Luis Potosí: 2.3%Sinaloa: 2.1%Tabasco: 2.1%Oaxaca: 1.9%Hidalgo: 1.8%Yucatán: 1.6%Chiapas: 1.6%Campeche: 1.6%Quintana Roo: 1.5%Durango: 1.4%Aguascalientes: 1.3%Guerrero: 1.3%Morelos: 1.1%Zacatecas: 1.0%Baja California Sur: 0.8%Nayarit: 0.7%Colima: 0.6%Tlaxcala: 0.6%
Exports, 20255th of 32US$52.7 bn 3
Chihuahua: US$109.6 bnCoahuila: US$67.5 bnNuevo León: US$58.7 bnBaja California: US$56.5 bnJalisco: US$52.7 bnTamaulipas: US$36.8 bnGuanajuato: US$33.3 bnSonora: US$28.6 bnSan Luis Potosí: US$24.9 bnState of Mexico: US$21.8 bnQuerétaro: US$18.1 bnPuebla: US$17.1 bnAguascalientes: US$13.3 bnCampeche: US$8.4 bnVeracruz: US$6.9 bnMichoacán: US$6.6 bnTabasco: US$6.4 bnZacatecas: US$4.9 bnMexico City: US$3.8 bnMorelos: US$3.5 bnSinaloa: US$3.3 bnHidalgo: US$3.1 bnDurango: US$2.9 bnYucatán: US$2.6 bnTlaxcala: US$2.0 bnColima: US$1.9 bnOaxaca: US$1.3 bnChiapas: US$1.3 bnGuerrero: US$0.9 bnBaja California Sur: US$0.4 bnNayarit: US$0.4 bnQuintana Roo: US$0.0 bn
Formal private jobs, July 20262nd of 322,058,578 7
Mexico City: 3,677,103Jalisco: 2,058,578State of Mexico: 2,042,698Nuevo León: 1,975,292Guanajuato: 1,125,879Baja California: 1,085,315Chihuahua: 962,791Coahuila: 860,021Veracruz: 771,810Querétaro: 720,087Tamaulipas: 676,530Puebla: 660,609Sonora: 639,291Sinaloa: 561,368Quintana Roo: 515,762San Luis Potosí: 497,652Michoacán: 487,638Yucatán: 429,157Aguascalientes: 361,906Hidalgo: 296,993Durango: 267,117Chiapas: 262,287Oaxaca: 241,108Baja California Sur: 225,858Morelos: 214,015Tabasco: 205,092Zacatecas: 190,788Nayarit: 182,795Guerrero: 160,478Colima: 158,302Campeche: 129,666Tlaxcala: 116,168
Informal work, Q2 202620th of 3246.5% 6
Oaxaca: 80.1%Guerrero: 77.6%Chiapas: 76.9%Hidalgo: 72.0%Tlaxcala: 72.0%Michoacán: 71.3%Puebla: 70.3%Veracruz: 69.1%Morelos: 67.2%Tabasco: 66.2%Campeche: 61.4%Zacatecas: 61.2%Yucatán: 59.1%Nayarit: 58.9%Durango: 55.5%State of Mexico: 55.3%San Luis Potosí: 54.9%Guanajuato: 54.8%Sinaloa: 49.0%Jalisco: 46.5%Colima: 46.2%Mexico City: 45.3%Quintana Roo: 45.0%Tamaulipas: 44.4%Sonora: 43.9%Aguascalientes: 42.5%Baja California Sur: 39.6%Querétaro: 39.2%Baja California: 36.2%Coahuila: 35.5%Chihuahua: 35.1%Nuevo León: 34.8%
Median age, 202516th of 3231.5 1
Mexico City: 37.4Veracruz: 34.2Morelos: 34.1Colima: 33.0Hidalgo: 33.0Sinaloa: 32.9State of Mexico: 32.7Tamaulipas: 32.5Yucatán: 32.5Sonora: 32.0Campeche: 31.8Oaxaca: 31.8Nayarit: 31.6Nuevo León: 31.6Querétaro: 31.6Jalisco: 31.5San Luis Potosí: 31.5Baja California: 31.4Baja California Sur: 31.4Chihuahua: 31.3Michoacán: 31.1Tabasco: 31.1Tlaxcala: 30.8Quintana Roo: 30.6Zacatecas: 30.5Guanajuato: 30.4Coahuila: 30.3Puebla: 30.0Guerrero: 29.9Aguascalientes: 29.8Durango: 29.7Chiapas: 26.4

Beside its neighbours in the West

Share of Mexico’s output, 2024

Jalisco7.55%
Michoacán2.75%
Sinaloa2.11%
Nayarit0.68%
Colima0.64%

Exports, 2025

JaliscoUS$52.73 bn
MichoacánUS$6.63 bn
SinaloaUS$3.33 bn
NayaritUS$389.1 m
ColimaUS$1.92 bn

Formal private jobs, July 2026

Jalisco2,058,578
Michoacán487,638
Sinaloa561,368
Nayarit182,795
Colima158,302

Informal work, Q2 2026

Jalisco46.5%
Michoacán71.3%
Sinaloa49.0%
Nayarit58.9%
Colima46.2%
The Texas-Facing NorthThe Pacific BorderThe Bajío and Center-NorthThe CenterThe WestThe Gulf and the IsthmusThe PeninsulaThe Deep South: Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas

Jalisco against Mexico

Coloured: the state. Grey: the whole country.

Informal work, Q2 2026 6
Jalisco46.5%
Mexico55.1%
Average daily wage, pesos, July 2026 7
Jalisco658.55
Mexico673.9
Businesses hit by crime per 10,000, 2023 14
Jalisco2,595
Mexico2,722
The national wage covers all IMSS-insured workers; the state figure is Lokus Data’s processing of private formal jobs, so the two are close but not the same measure.
Safety and government

Safety, taxes and incentives

INEGI counted 2,595 businesses victimized per 10,000 in 2023, against 2,722 nationally, yet 78.0% of adults in Guadalajara felt unsafe in June 2026. The Mexico Peace Index 2026 ranks it 15th; the May 29, 2026, USA advisory sets it at Level 3. 5

The 2026 payroll tax is 3.0% (BHR). An April 2026 agreement cut industrial-park permits in 8 municipalities from about 700 working days to 200. IMCO ranked Jalisco sixth in competitiveness in 2026. 5

Level 3USA travel advisory, May 2026 13
15th of 32Peace (Mexico Peace Index), 2026 13
6th of 32Competitiveness (IMCO), 2026 11
3.00%State payroll tax, 2026 12
The ground

Cities, ports, airports, crossings, power and water

1

Guadalajara

The capital: 1,385,629 people (2020) 18

2

Zapopan

City: 1,476,491 people (2020) 18

3

Tlaquepaque

City: 650,123 people (2020) 18

4

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport

International airport (GDL) · 18,773,673 passengers in 2025 18

Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport

International airport (PVR) · 6,957,392 passengers in 2025 18

Ferromex (with Ferrosur; 12,100 km combined)

Rail line serving the state 18

Power and water

State energy authorities put the electricity deficit at 35% to 40% in June 2026. Lake Chapala stood at 65.97% of capacity on June 28, 2026. 5

Logistics and crossings

Guadalajara’s airport is second in Mexico for cargo (Discovery CRE, August 2026), and high-technology freight moves mostly by air. 5

Development pole

No federal development pole has been declared here. 5

AguascalientesBaja CaliforniaBaja California SurCampecheChiapasChihuahuaCoahuilaColimaDurangoGuanajuatoGuerreroHidalgoMexico CityMichoacánMorelosNayaritNuevo LeónOaxacaPueblaQuerétaroQuintana RooSan Luis PotosíSinaloaSonoraState of MexicoTabascoTamaulipasTlaxcalaVeracruzYucatánZacatecasJaliscoColimaMichoacánNayaritGuadalajara1Zapopan2Tlaquepaque3Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport4
CityAirportnumbers match the cards
The corridor: The West. Click a neighbour to open its page.
Who invests

The recent arrivals

  1. May 2026C3 AIA vendor called Guadalajara in September 2026 the place where most of Mexico’s AI servers are made, and enterprise AI company C3 AI announced a development center there in May 2026, aiming to hire up to 1,000 software developers. 8
  2. Nov 2024FlexFlex announced in November 2024 an $86 million investment in Jalisco for 2025, with 2,000 jobs, according to Mexico Industry, citing confidence in the state and the continuity of public policy. 8
Foreign direct investmentUS$1.26 bnin 2025, 7th of 32 10
IMMEX export plants419Apr 2026, against 419 a year earlier; 239,428 people employed 16
What it costs

Lokus Data’s average daily IMSS contribution wage was 658.55 pesos in July 2026, tenth of 32, against a national 673.9. 5

Book 6’s cost model prices only Monterrey, Querétaro and Mérida in full.

Rent per square metre, freight to your customers and the fully loaded cost of your own workforce are figures we prepare for each client, not numbers to publish: work with us.

Sources, each with its date

  1. INEGI, Encuesta Intercensal 2025 (people in private dwellings; median age from the tabulates), 22 Sep 2026 · link
  2. INEGI, PIB por Entidad Federativa 2024, current prices; share our arithmetic over the national 33,506,847 million pesos, 5 Dec 2025 · link
  3. INEGI, Exportaciones Trimestrales por Entidad Federativa, the four quarters of 2025 summed (our arithmetic), preliminary, 31 Mar 2026 · link
  4. Wikipedia, List of states of Mexico, citing INEGI (continental area, 2016), 22 Oct 2026 · link
  5. Book 6, Where to Go in Mexico, Part V, with the sources listed there, Nov 2026 · link
  6. INEGI, ENOE second quarter 2026, bulletin 503/26, as compiled in Book 6, Part V, 25 Aug 2026 · link
  7. IMSS open data as processed by Lokus Data (private formal jobs and average daily contribution wage; the national wage of 673.9 pesos covers all IMSS-insured workers), as compiled in Book 6, Jul 2026 · link
  8. Book 6, Where to Go in Mexico, chapter 17, The West, with the sources listed there, Nov 2026 · link
  9. INEGI, quarterly state exports, bulletin 609/26, as compiled in Book 6, 30 Sep 2026 · link
  10. Secretaría de Economía, foreign direct investment by state of destination, as reproduced by the Chamber of Deputies, Gaceta Parlamentaria, 14 Apr 2026 · link
  11. IMCO, Índice de Competitividad Estatal 2026, 21 Sep 2026 · link
  12. BHR, bulletin on state payroll-tax rates for 2026, as compiled in Book 6, Jan 2026 · link
  13. Institute for Economics and Peace, Mexico Peace Index 2026; USA Department of State travel advisory of 29 May 2026, 29 May 2026 · link
  14. INEGI, ENVE 2024 (businesses victimized in 2023, per 10,000), 10 Dec 2024 · link
  15. INEGI, ITAEE first quarter 2026 (change on a year), from Book 6, Figure VII.18, Nov 2026 · link
  16. IIEG Jalisco, ficha IMMEX Jalisco abril 2026 (INEGI data); report dated 2026-06-24, 1 Jul 2026 · link
  17. INEGI, PIB por Entidad Federativa 2024, the state's press release (shares at current prices, growth at constant prices; taxes on products are 100 less the three activities, our arithmetic), 5 Dec 2025 · link
  18. Wikipedia, the city, airport, port and crossing pages (EN and ES), read 3 November 2026, 3 Nov 2026 · link
  19. Wikipedia and the pages listed: Jalisco (en); Jalisco (es); University of Guadalajara (en), 3 Nov 2026 · link
  20. Book 6, Where to Go in Mexico, chapter 12, The Landed Cost and Time to Production, State by State, Nov 2026 · link

Pictures

  • Panorámica Guadalajara desde edificio Bansi hacia norte (cropped): Isacdaavid, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
  • Streets of Tequila 664424236 (cropped): Gabriel Saldana, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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