INEGI is an autonomous public agency mandated to regulate and coordinate the country’s National System of Statistical and Geographic Information. Additionally, INEGI captures and disseminates information about Mexico’s territory, resources, population, and economy.

The Institute was created by presidential decree on January 25th of 1983. Doing this, Mexico bundled the generation of both statistical and geographic information in a single, national institution, thus paving the way for INEGI to overhaul the country’s tradition in regard to collecting, processing, and disseminating information.

INEGI actively strives to keep track of the mining of new information sources and take advantage of the evolution of statistical trends.

Currently, INEGI has up to 119 information programs comprising:
·21 censuses;
·56 surveys;
·11 derived statistics programs;
·8 geographic and environmental programs, and
·23 based on administrative records.

In addition, INEGI is currently developing 21 experimental programs to produce new information based on alternative data sources and state-of-the-art statistical methods.

INEGI's ultimate commitment to improving the timely provision of quality, relevant, and user-oriented data has warranted the agency's public recognition. According to a general perception study conducted by Mexico's National Autonomous University (UNAM), 95% of surveyed Mexicans consider the agency's helpful information, and 73% believe INEGI is the most trustworthy governmental institution.