Mexico City is sinking by nearly 25 centimetres (10 inches) annually, according to new satellite imagery from NASA, making it one of the world's fastest-sinking major cities. The subsidence, caused by groundwater pumping and urban development, has been ongoing for over a century.
The city, home to about 22 million people, was built on an ancient lake bed. The depletion of the underlying aquifer has led to a drop of more than 12 metres (39 feet) in less than 100 years, said Enrique Cabral, a geophysics researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
NASA's estimates are based on measurements taken between October 2025 and January 2026 by the NISAR satellite, a joint project with the Indian Space Research Organisation. In some areas, such as the main airport and the Angel of Independence monument, the sinking rate is about 2 centimetres (0.78 inches) per month.
The subsidence damages critical infrastructure, including the subway, drainage and water systems, housing and streets, Cabral noted. The shrinking aquifer also worsens the city's water crisis, which experts expect to intensify.
NISAR scientist Paul Rosen said the satellite provides documentation of changes within the city, revealing the full magnitude of the problem. Researchers hope to eventually obtain measurements on a building-by-building basis and apply the technology globally to track natural disasters and climate change effects.
Cabral said the technology represents a major advance in studying subsidence and mitigating its effects. After decades of government inaction, officials have begun funding more research following recent water crises. “To do long-term mitigation of the situation, the first step is to just understand,” he said.
