• Government says around one-third of missing people since 2006 are still alive
• Research groups criticize methodology and question accuracy of official figures

The Mexican government has released a new report indicating that nearly one-third of the officially registered missing persons—around 130,000 individuals since the start of the country’s drug war in 2006—are still alive, according to government records.

The announcement sparked widespread criticism from research groups, who described it as an attempt to downplay the severity of the crisis.

This debate comes amid growing disputes over how missing persons cases are tracked. Authorities argue that official numbers are often inflated, while families maintain that the true figures are much higher. Both sides link the issue to a lack of reliable data, insufficient local enforcement, and ongoing impunity.

Marcela Figueroa, a senior security official, said the government cross-referenced vaccination records, birth and marriage certificates, and tax filings to identify 40,367 individuals—about 31% of registered missing persons—who are alive according to official records.

Figueroa added that, in cooperation with research groups, authorities were able to locate 5,269 individuals, many of whom were classified as "voluntary absences," such as men leaving their families or women fleeing abusive relationships.

However, Héctor Flores, head of a research group in Jalisco—the state with the highest disappearance rates—called the report “misleading” and criticized the government’s methodology for lacking transparency.

Research groups have accused authorities of deliberately "hiding the missing" for years to avoid international accountability, noting that historical corruption and failure to conduct thorough investigations have fueled family distrust.

According to official figures, 46,000 individuals (36% of registered cases) lack essential data such as names or dates, making it nearly impossible to track them. Another 43,128 people (33%) show no recorded activity in government databases, with criminal investigations conducted for fewer than 10% of cases.

Figueroa emphasized that the government is tightening oversight of local prosecutors’ offices that fail to investigate thoroughly and is seeking to increase the number of cases under review.

These figures are part of efforts to reorganize a complex database tied to mass disappearances, many of which were historically used by cartels to consolidate power through intimidation and conceal killings, including high-profile cases like the disappearance of 43 students in central Mexico, involving elements within the state itself.

The total number of officially recorded missing persons since 2006 is estimated at around 130,000—enough to fill a small city—and the faces of the missing are displayed on posters and banners across major urban streets.

Every review of missing persons statistics typically generates intense criticism, according to María Luisa Aguilar, director of the Miguel Agustín Pro Human Rights Center, which supports families searching for loved ones.

Under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018–2024), a new count of missing persons was conducted after his administration allegedly inflated numbers to make its performance appear weak, triggering a wave of criticism that continued into 2023.

Research groups and the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances indicate that the actual number of missing is far higher than official figures, due to shortcomings by local governments, families’ reluctance to report cases, and lack of clear, transparent data.

Aguilar acknowledged that government efforts to improve data accuracy are welcome but warned that the figures “reduce state accountability” in the ongoing crisis. She stressed that the numbers provide neither real solutions nor concrete information for families, leaving them responsible for continuing the search, sometimes with their loved ones’ lives at stake.

The center stated that focusing on statistics instead of providing practical support fails to address a crisis that has persisted for over twenty years, giving the impression that the goal is to minimize reported numbers rather than offer real solutions.