Accessing INEGI Microdata: A Guide for Graduate Students & Researchers

← Home

I put together this guide to help IU graduate students and IU-affiliated researchers request INEGI data for research on Mexico.

Institutional access & overview

The Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI), Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography, produces economic, social, demographic, and geographic data for research on Mexico.

Indiana University Bloomington and INEGI maintain an agreement that allows IU graduate students and affiliated researchers to request access to restricted microdata for academic research. The agreement provides an institutional route to apply. However, each project, researcher, and data request remains subject to INEGI approval.

Options to access data

Before requesting restricted data access, I encourage you to download and review INEGI’s publicly available anonymized files. These may already provide the data at the unit of observation you need to answer your research questions.

Access route	How it works
*Remote Processing (Procesamiento Remoto)*	Send your code to INEGI. INEGI staff run it on the restricted microdata and return approved statistical output after review. This does not provide remote access to the data or a secure desktop.
*Microdata Laboratory (Laboratorio de Microdatos)*	Work with approved microdata on secure equipment in person at an authorized laboratory following registration and training. See the Mexico City location below.

Remote processing and physical laboratory access are governed by the INEGI operating rules (Spanish PDF), including Articles 19 and 31.

INEGI data products

INEGI offers the following data products. Available years, variables, geographic detail, and access requirements vary by program.

Economic Censuses (Censos Económicos): Establishment activity, revenue, input costs, employment, capital, and industry.
Population and Housing Censuses (Censos de Población y Vivienda): Demographics, housing, labor, and socioeconomic characteristics.
Agricultural and forestry censuses (Censos Agropecuarios y Forestales): Agricultural production, land use, machinery, and the rural economy.
National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure (Encuesta Nacional de Ingresos y Gastos de los Hogares, ENIGH): Household income, consumption, and expenditure.
National Survey of Occupation and Employment (Encuesta Nacional de Ocupación y Empleo, ENOE): Employment, informality, earnings, and working conditions.
Environmental and sectoral statistics: Environmental management and industry-specific activity. Check each program’s coverage; some compliance and emissions records may require a separate request or another agency.
Geospatial and cartographic data: Geographic boundaries, digital maps, and spatial layers for GIS analysis.

Start with the INEGI program catalogue. Program pages provide public microdata, documentation, and file structures (Estructura de archivos, FD). Restricted microdata require an approved request.

How to request access

1. Define your research and data needs

Identify the programs, years, variables, geographic detail, and outputs your project requires. Explain why publicly available files are insufficient. Discuss the project with your thesis advisor or research supervisor before applying.

2. Prepare the documentation package

Download the INEGI access application form (PDF). Complete and save it in PDF format using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Prepare the following together for submission to microdatos@inegi.org.mx:

Completed application, including your project objectives, requested data, intended outputs, and chosen access modality.
Institutional affiliation documents for you and, if you are a graduate student, your thesis advisor or supervisor. You can request this endorsement from the Department of Economics and include the letter with your application.
Official photo identification for you and your advisor or supervisor, as applicable; a passport is an appropriate option for international applicants.
Updated CVs for you and your advisor or supervisor, as applicable.

Send the application materials together in a single email and follow any additional instructions INEGI provides. Requirements for researchers and their supervisors can vary by applicant category. Consult the current form and the operating rules, Articles 7–14.

3A. Remote Processing (Procesamiento Remoto)

This route is suitable when you cannot travel to a laboratory and can specify the analysis in code.

Send the signed, scanned application PDF to microdatos@inegi.org.mx, with your advisor’s or supervisor’s signature where required.
After INEGI acknowledges the request, provide your variable selection using the relevant program’s file-structure document (Estructura de archivos, FD), together with your scripts or processing specifications.
Agree on accepted software, file formats, and naming conventions with INEGI. These may include Stata .do files or R scripts, depending on the project and available tools.
INEGI staff run the code on the confidential microdata. Outputs are reviewed for disclosure risk before approved results are returned to you.

Remote processing is a code-submission service, not a remote-desktop connection. Under Article 19 of the linked rules, this modality does not require the laboratory accreditation or signed laboratory terms of use applicable to on-site access.

3B. Microdata Laboratory (Laboratorio de Microdatos)

This route requires you to travel to an approved facility in Mexico and work there in person.

Select your preferred laboratory in the application and confirm availability with INEGI before making travel arrangements.
Request the institutional endorsement from the IU Economics Department and coordinate accreditation through the IU–INEGI agreement.
Submit signed originals of the application and the terms of use (Términos y Condiciones de Uso) when instructed. Obtain your advisor’s or supervisor’s signature where required.
Complete the required confidentiality and laboratory-orientation training, then reserve your working sessions according to the facility’s procedures.
Work on the approved data using the secure laboratory equipment. Confirm required software and versions in advance. Tools may include R, Stata, SPSS, Excel, Mapa Digital, and ArcGIS; availability should be checked for your project and chosen facility.
Request review and release of your statistical outputs through INEGI. Confidential microdata remain within the secure environment.

Direct access is available only while physically present inside an authorized Microdata Laboratory. All work is subject to the operating rules (in Spanish), the signed terms of use, and the facility’s scheduling arrangements. Confirm your appointment and the location for your approved project with INEGI before traveling.

Laboratory location in Mexico City

Patriotismo: Av. Patriotismo 711, Torre A, Col. San Juan Mixcoac, Benito Juárez, Ciudad de México.

Patriotismo location

Open location in Google Maps

Planning your stay in Mexico City

If you are traveling to the Patriotismo laboratory, I recommend looking for Airbnb options in the Benito Juárez area, preferably close to the INEGI office. You can often find affordable accommodation within walking distance of restaurants, cafés, and public transportation. Mexico City also has an excellent bike-sharing system, ECOBICI, which can be a convenient way to get around. When deciding where to stay, it may be helpful to check the ECOBICI station and cycling-route map to see whether there are stations near your accommodation and the INEGI office.

Questions or help

Official applications and access questions: microdatos@inegi.org.mx.

If you are an IU student or affiliated researcher, I am happy to help you navigate the application process. Email me at bseoela@iu.edu. INEGI handles official applications and access decisions.

Official resources

Disclaimer and researcher responsibility

I provide this guide for informational purposes to help researchers navigate the application process and use INEGI data responsibly. It is not legal advice or an official statement from Indiana University or INEGI, and it does not replace the IU–INEGI agreement, INEGI’s operating rules, or the terms governing your approved project.

Each researcher is responsible for complying with the requirements that apply to their access and use of the data. Misconduct, unauthorized disclosure, or misuse may result in sanctions under the applicable rules and agreements. Nothing in this guide changes the responsibilities of researchers, IU, or INEGI under those documents.

Guide updated September 28, 2026. Confirm current forms, software, appointments, and requirements with INEGI.