The demographic transition still in progress in Mexico began early in the twentieth century, and seems likely to continue into the next. The country has experienced astronomical growth in population, which can be linked to a decreasing morbidity rate and until the late 1960’s, a relatively high birth rate. The nation has also experienced a rapid movement toward urbanization that has improved healthcare, increased accessibility to clean water and sanitary facilities to the nation as a whole, but at the same time, exacerbated health and environmental issues in concentrated areas.

Rapid population growth in the absence of adequate investment and planning to support it has been linked to environmental degradation, unbalanced spatial and economic growth, and large-scale deprivation of land, housing, jobs, and transportation. It is my contention that the existence of these conditions in Mexico, largely resulting from its rapidly growing population, can be linked to specific national governmental policies that have been implemented over the last century. This study is focused on five states that have exhibited the largest percentage change in population for the period beginning 1910 and ending in 1995. By examining the growth within these states during specific time periods, I attempt to isolate some of the driving factors contributing to the growth of the state’s population. This study explores the impact of the government’s policy promoting population growth in effect until the early 1970’s, as well as the impact of agricultural reform and pro-industrial policy as an impetus for regional growth. Today, even as environmental degradation, overcrowding and the spread of disease reach alarming levels, the government continues to struggle with promoting economic development and effectively managing the outcomes. Identifying those causal relations may allow the Mexican government to effectively focus attempts at intervention, and provide guidelines for future policy development as the country continues its’ economic development.