Sonora Ranks Fourth in Mexico for Lowest Education Lag

Why this is here: Sonora’s combined rate of illiteracy and incomplete schooling totals 19 percent, one of the lowest figures in Mexico, and a key metric for the state’s educational progress.

Governor Alfonso Durazo of Sonora, Mexico, reports his state holds the fourth-lowest rate of educational lag in the country. The state’s progress stems from increased investment in education, which Durazo considers a foundational pillar of his administration. Sonora’s illiteracy rate among people age 15 and older is about 1.3 percent—significantly lower than rates in Guerrero (10.2 percent), Puebla (5.7 percent), and Campeche (4.9 percent).

Roughly 5.1 percent of Sonora’s population has not completed primary school, and 12.6 percent have not finished secondary school. These figures combine for a total educational lag of 19 percent, placing Sonora behind only Mexico City, Nuevo León, and Coahuila nationally.

Durazo’s administration has invested roughly 3.7 billion pesos in the Becas Sonora de Oportunidades program, awarding over 606,000 scholarships. This investment reduced school dropout rates by 13 percent, but ongoing efforts are needed to address the remaining gaps in educational attainment.