The state of Jalisco on the Pacific coast of Mexico is located in the Centre-West meso-region. Its capital city, Guadalajara, is the second most populous in the country. The state is the seventh largest in surface area (about the size of the BENELUX) and has a population of approximately 6.8 million inhabitants (fourth largest in the country). Jalisco has a higher share of its population in urban areas than the national average and most of its economic activity and population is encompassed in the metropolitan area of the capital city of Guadalajara, which includes several municipalities. The state population is growing at a slightly higher rate than the national average (1.2% versus 1.0%). However, that growth rate is diminished by high levels of out migration, as it is the state that sends the most immigrants to the US annually. Education levels of the population overall are slightly above averages for the nation as a whole.