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The Big Picture

The U.S. Southern border is one of North America’s most important economic regions and one of its least understood.

The bilingual fact sheet developed by the Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness at UTEP, in collaboration with the U.S.-Mexico Foundation, highlights the scale of the U.S. side of the Southern border region, including GDP, trade, employment, and commercial crossings.

Why It Matters

The data frames the border as a major driver of national economic activity.

The fact sheet shows that the U.S. Southern border region includes 4 states, 41 counties, 28 ports of entry, six R1 institutions, and 17 military installations.

Together, those border counties generate a $1 trillion GDP, comparable to Pennsylvania’s economy and equivalent to the 6th-largest state economy in the United States.

By the Numbers

The region is home to 12.6 million people, supports 5.5 million jobs, and includes 3 million residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

From 2014 to 2024, border counties also outpaced national growth in GDP, population, employment, and educational attainment.

Trade and Movement

In 2025, Southern border states processed $1.7 trillion in trade, representing 30% of total U.S. trade. Commercial crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border reached 9.8 million, growing nearly 3 times faster over the past decade than crossings along the U.S.-Canada border.

Bottom Line

The fact sheet provides policymakers, researchers, and regional leaders with a concise data tool to understand the border’s role in U.S. competitiveness, supply chains, and the country’s economic relationship with Mexico.