AMAI México

What AMAI México does

AMAI (Asociación Mexicana de Agencias de Inteligencia de Mercado y Opinión A.C.) is a Mexican nonprofit civil association founded in 1992, headquartered in Mexico City, that serves as the standards-setting body for the country's market research and public opinion industry. The organization's core product is the NSE (Niveles Socioeconómicos) classification system, a point-based algorithm (current version Regla AMAI 2024) that classifies Mexican households into seven socioeconomic levels (A/B, C+, C, C-, D+, D, E) using six variables: education of the household head, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, employed persons aged 14+, cars owned, and fixed internet access. The NSE has been the industry standard for socioeconomic classification in Mexico since 1994 and is updated biennially using INEGI's ENIGH household income and expenditure survey data.

AMAI operates multiple programs beyond NSE: nine specialized committees (Quality and Certification, Campus AMAI, Communication, Professional Events, Business Management, Innovation, NSE and Demographic Indicators, Academic Linkage, and Public Opinion), the ESIMM 2022 quality certification for member agencies, Campus AMAI as an education platform, the annual IDEAS AMAI conference and Talleres AMAI workshops, and the Legado AMAI (formerly Salón de la Fama) recognition program. The association also runs the Voces de la Investigación publication series, an industry job board, and the NSE LATAM initiative extending the classification methodology to other Latin American markets.

AMAI's revenue model is membership-driven (association dues) supplemented by certification fees, event revenue, and educational program fees. With a 16-employee headcount and no external ownership or venture investment, AMAI functions as a member-funded industry association rather than a commercial enterprise. Its strategic partnerships with INEGI, CONAPO, and SEDATU provide access to official statistical inputs that underpin NSE methodology credibility.

Name

AMAI México

Legal name

Asociación Mexicana de Agencias de Inteligencia de Mercado y Opinión A.C.

Website

https://amai.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AMAI is the Mexican civil association of market research and opinion agencies, best known for its proprietary NSE socioeconomic classification system that has set the industry standard for Mexican household segmentation since 1994.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Industry Association & Classification Standards

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDABAKAN

Audit, Inspection & Quality Compliance (Internal Auditing, CAPA)

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Operations, Quality & Lean/Six Sigma Training

SECONDARYBPAIAAAF

National Statistics & Census Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Central/Federal Government Administration

Keywords

• Market research association
• Socioeconomic classification
• Industry standards Mexico
• Public opinion research
• Professional certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Mexico City

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AMAI operates as an association (A.C. - Asociación Civil) and likely generates revenue primarily through membership fees from its member agencies. The association provides certification services (ESIMM), access to proprietary research tools like NSE, and professional development through Campus AMAI.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AMAI México develops and maintains the NSE (Niveles Socioeconómicos) classification system — a proprietary statistical model that segments Mexican households into seven socioeconomic levels using six household variables. The association also delivers the ESIMM quality certification for member agencies, runs Campus AMAI for professional education, and organizes the IDEAS AMAI annual conference for the market research industry.

Product overview

AMAI (Asociación Mexicana de Agencias de Inteligencia de Mercado y Opinión) is a professional association for market and opinion research agencies in Mexico. Its core product is the NSE (Niveles Socioeconómicos) system, a statistical classification framework that segments Mexican households into seven socioeconomic levels based on living conditions and assets. The NSE offering includes the main classification model, the NSE LATAM extension for regional markets, and various data products (Regla AMAI 2024). Beyond the NSE, AMAI operates Campus AMAI for professional education and Voces de la Investigación for research dissemination. The association also organizes annual conferences including IDEAS AMAI and provides a job board for the industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Legado AMAI: Formerly the 'Salón de la Fama', this recognition honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the market research and public opinion industry in Mexico.
• NSE AMAI
• IDEAS AMAI
• Talleres AMAI
• Campus AMAI
• NSE LATAM

Products and services

• NSE (Niveles Socioeconómicos) A statistical model and classification system that categorizes Mexican households into seven socioeconomic levels (A/B, C+, C, C-, D+, D, E) based on six household variables: education of household head, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, employed persons aged 14+, cars owned, and internet access. The current rule is Regla AMAI 2024. It is the industry standard for market research, audience measurement, and consumer segmentation in Mexico.
• NSE LATAM Extension of the NSE socioeconomic classification methodology for Latin American markets beyond Mexico, enabling comparable cross-country consumer segmentation for research firms, media, and commerce companies operating in the region.
• Regla AMAI 2024 The latest biennial update of the NSE point-based algorithm, developed by AMAI's NSE Committee using ENIGH 2022 data. It uses six household variables to classify households into seven socioeconomic levels.
• Certificación ESIMM 2022 Sector-specific quality certification granted by AMAI to member market research and opinion agencies that meet defined standards of operational quality, methodology, and ethical practice. Certified agencies receive the Distintivo de Calidad Certificada.
• Campus AMAI Online educational platform offering courses and professional development programs in market research, public opinion, and consumer intelligence methodologies for member agencies and industry professionals.
• Voces de la Investigación Research publication platform featuring articles and content on market research, neuromarketing, and the application of artificial intelligence in market research, aimed at disseminating knowledge across the industry.
• Bolsa de Trabajo AMAI Industry job board connecting market research professionals with employment opportunities at member agencies and firms across the Mexican market research sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• NSE system used as industry standard across Mexico for over 30 years since 1994

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CONAPO (Consejo Nacional de Población)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMAI collaborates with CONAPO on metropolitan area definitions used in NSE calculations. The interinstitutional group (CONAPO, SEDATU, INEGI) has developed metropolitan area delimitations since 2000, which AMAI uses for standardizing NSE geographic references.
• INEGI (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMAI uses ENIGH (Encuesta Nacional de Ingresos y Gastos de los Hogares) data from INEGI every two years to update NSE estimates and validate its classification model.
• SEDATU (Secretaría de Desarrollo Agrario, Territorial y Urbano)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the interinstitutional group with CONAPO and INEGI for metropolitan area definitions used in NSE methodology.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Market Research Society (MRS): U.K. professional body for market, social, and opinion researchers. Operates a parallel membership, training (e.g., MRS Certificate in Market Research), and standards-based certification model very similar to AMAI's ESIMM and Campus AMAI offerings.
• Advertising Research Foundation (ARF): U.S.-based industry organization focused on advertising and marketing research. Comparable in function to AMAI's media/commerce segment, particularly around audience measurement standards and industry education.
• ESOMAR: Global industry organization for market, social, and opinion research. Direct functional peer to AMAI: both are membership-based associations that set professional standards, provide training/certification, publish research, and host flagship industry events.
• Insights Association: U.S. trade association for the market research and analytics industry. Closely comparable to AMAI in mission: member dues, industry standards, professional certification (e.g., PRC), advocacy, and education for research agencies.
• WAPOR (World Association for Public Opinion Research): International association for public opinion and survey research professionals. Comparable in scope to AMAI's public opinion committee and broader member services, especially around methodology standards and global networking.
• The Research Society (Australia/New Zealand): Australia and New Zealand's professional body for data, insights, and research. Comparable member-based structure with certification, events, and standards advocacy that closely mirrors AMAI's offerings.

Regional players

• AIMC (Asociación para la Investigación de Medios de Comunicación): Spanish association governing media and audience research. Functionally similar association/standards role for market research in Spain, but geographically separate from AMAI's Mexico-centric footprint.
• AIMRO (Associazione Italiana Marketing e Ricerche di Opinione) or equivalent Italian research association: Italian market research association (Assirm is the closest comparable). Functions as a peer membership and standards body but operates primarily in Italy, not directly competing with AMAI in Mexico.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AmaiMexico
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6Roif5Y-DwUJNbvc5vOeUA
• Facebookfacebook.com/amaimexico
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amaimexico
• Instagraminstagram.com/amaimexico

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AMAI México