The state of Puebla is geographically located in the Southern central part of Mexico (in the Centre meso-region but also part of the South-Southeast meso-region). The state is close to the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City (with more than 18 million inhabitants). Its territory is relatively small (20th out of 32 in surface area) and is the seventh most densely populated with slightly over 5.3 million inhabitants. It nevertheless has a somewhat higher share of rural residents than the national average (29.4% versus 23.5%). Its annual population growth is about the same as the national level at 1%. In terms of educational attainment, it is behind the national averages in both schooling years and in the proportion of its population over 15 years that completed secondary schooling.