Are Mexico's Best Days Ahead? Social Progress and the Future of North America

What does social progress actually look like inside one of the world's most watched and most misunderstood economies? Michael Green sits down with Sofía Ramírez Aguilar, Director of México ¿Cómo Vamos?to dig into where Mexico really stands on quality of life, what the Social Progress Index reveals across all 32 states, and why the story is far more nuanced than the headlines suggest. From the happiness paradox to the three critical gaps holding Mexico back — public safety, basic education, and healthcare, to the Shared Prosperity Map that puts U.S. and Mexican states on the same quality-of-life scale, this is a conversation about what North American integration actually looks like on the ground.Plus: why foreign direct investment follows social progress scores, what teen pregnancy rates in Oaxaca vs. Chihuahua reveal about the limits of aggregate data, and Sofía's optimistic prediction for the decade ahead.Chapters00:00:00 – Introduction & What México ¿Cómo Vamos? Does00:02:15 – Mexico's Happiness Rankings & Social Progress Reality Check00:05:48 – The Three Big Gaps: Safety, Education, Healthcare00:10:33 – The Shared Prosperity Map of North America00:12:37 – Quality of Work vs. Employment as a Social Progress Driver00:18:59 – The Two-Way Relationship Between Growth and Social Progress00:20:39 – State-Level Data: Guerrero, Chiapas, Oaxaca & Closing the Gap00:23:00 – Teen Pregnancy as a Window Into Different State Realities00:27:41 – Laredo/Nuevo Laredo: Social Progress at the Municipal Level00:29:33 – Why Investors Follow Social Progress Scores00:34:12 – Supply Chains, Integration, and the States Being Left Behind00:36:15 – Sofía's Prediction: A Decade of Real Progress in North AmericaFollow Sofía Ramírez Aguilar and México ¿Cómo Vamos?: Website https://mexicocomovamos.mx Please follow and rate our show! Explore our work at https://www.socialprogress.org/Interested in the Social Progress Index? Learn more. Help us advance social progress across the world! Your donation makes a huge difference to us. Donate now! Want the full story? Subscribe to our newsletter!