Kin Loss Due to Violent Death in Mexico: A Subnational Microsimulation Approach

Antonino Polizzi , Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science
Diego Alburez-Gutierrez, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

Mexico ranks among the countries with the highest rates of violent death. In this project, we provide estimates of the loss of a parent, child, or sibling to a violent death for each Mexican state and at the Mexican national level. Our microsimulation approach documents the large indirect toll of the surge in violence in Mexico. Between 2010–2019, on average 1 in 1,400 children below age 18—roughly 30,000 children—lost a father to violence each year, underlining the gendered dimension of violence in Mexico. In some Mexican states, rates of violent paternal loss have reached levels of non-violent paternal loss, pointing towards the unfortunate normalization of the loss of fathers to violence. Timely estimates of the loss of kin to violence are needed to mitigate the detrimental emotional and socioeconomic consequences for those who lost a parent, child, or sibling.

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 Presented in Session P2. Health, Mortality, Ageing - Aperitivo