Mexico Ranks Near Bottom in Online Shopping at 33%: OECD

Mexico’s online shopping activity remains limited compared to other OECD countries, with only 33.2% of Mexican consumers making an online purchase in 2024, ranking second to last in the OECD, well below the 71.3% average, says OECD data. 

Colombia ranked last, with only 15.3% of its population engaging in online shopping, while Ireland ranked highest, with a participation rate of 94.7%. The OECD average is 71.3%.

These figures align with data from Mexico’s National Survey on Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Households (ENDUTIH), which reported that 35.8% of internet users in Mexico made online purchases in 2024.

Significant urban-rural disparities persist. In urban areas, 39.2% of internet users reported shopping online, compared to just 19.1% in rural areas, according to ENDUTIH.

Among those who did not make online purchases, 21% preferred physical stores, 13.2% lacked interest, and 12% cited unfamiliarity with the process.

Additional challenges facing Mexico’s e-commerce sector include high rates of abandoned shopping carts and low repurchase behavior. According to the Second E-commerce Study Mexico 2025 by Elogia, 79% of consumers in Mexico have abandoned online carts at some point, often due to indecision, hidden costs, or insufficient product information.

The study highlights that one of the main obstacles for online businesses in Mexico is the lack of recurring customers. Understanding the causes behind cart abandonment and low repurchase rates is viewed as critical to improving customer retention and optimizing digital commerce strategies.