Good to know
Good to Know
- Official foreign resident counts are significantly undercounted; thousands of expats live on tourist or temporary visas rather than documented residency permits, making true foreign-born percentage unknown.
- Americans and Canadians form the most visible expat communities, though they concentrate in specific areas (malecón, tourist zones), creating a perception of higher foreign presence than official statistics suggest.
- Job market is heavily tourism-dependent; training programs reflect this reality with language acquisition and hospitality administration as top skills sought.
- About 37% of the local population are not enrolled in Mexico's social security systems (IMSS/ISSSTE), indicating a substantial informal workforce.
- Population has nearly doubled since 2000 (59,225) to 2020 (88,626), driven primarily by migration from mainland Mexico rather than international immigration.
Education Fields
Most Common Bachelor Degrees
- Administration and business
- Arts and humanities
- Social sciences and law
Total Population
- Census 2020
- 88626
- Estimated 2026
- 115349
- Median Age Years
- 26.5
Gender Split Percent
- Male
- 50.1
- Female
- 49.9
Indigenous Language
- Percent Of Population
- ~10% speak Mayan
- Maya Speakers
- 8757
Notable Nationalities
United States
- Context
- 262 immigrants in last 5 years; visible expat community concentrated in tourist areas
Colombia
- Context
- 56 immigrants in recent period
Italy
- Context
- 42 immigrants in recent period
Canada
- Context
- Significant expat presence mentioned in community reports
Foreign Born Percentage
Official counts incomplete; estimated <1% with documented permits
Business And Tech Presence
- Tech Presence
- Coworking spaces available; digital infrastructure exists but tourism sector dominates over tech startups
- Primary Economy
- Tourism-driven (cruise ships, diving, water sports, retail)
- Key Commercial Hub
- San Miguel de Cozumel serves as main business center with waterfront retail and cruise-ship-adjacent commerce
- Business Opportunities
- 57 active businesses listed for sale/investment as of May 2026; opportunities in hospitality, retail, marine activities, artisan goods
Workforce Training Fields
- Tourist and restaurant administration
- Foreign language acquisition
- Marketing and publicity
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Cozumel
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.