Federal Transfers to Quintana Roo Fall 11.1% in First Half

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Federal transfers to Quintana Roo fell 11.1% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, making the state the third hardest-hit in Mexico, according to an analysis by Moody’s.

The decline places Quintana Roo behind only Campeche and Veracruz in the scale of budget reductions. Analysts say the drop in the state’s share of federal tax revenue, known as recaudación federal participable, underscores how dependent Quintana Roo and its municipalities are on federal money and leaves them vulnerable to swings in national tax collection.

“The reduction in resources directly affects the financial capacity of the state and local governments to address priority areas such as infrastructure, security, health, public lighting, sewage and drinking water,” said Sergio León Cervantes, vice president of the maritime council of Comce Sur, a business association focused on foreign trade.

León Cervantes attributed the contraction to a combination of factors. A slowing U.S. economy has curbed tourist arrivals and average spending in the Mexican Caribbean, reducing tax collections on income, value-added and special goods taxes, he said.

He also cited excessive red tape, heavy tax enforcement and customs congestion as pushing small investors into the informal economy or unregulated digital work, which generate little or no tax revenue.

The current federal revenue-sharing formulas give more weight to population size than to wealth generated, penalizing states with strong economic activity but lower population density, León Cervantes said. He urged authorities to streamline permitting and other administrative procedures to make it easier to open businesses and revive the local economy.