Generally considered the largest cemetery in Latin America, the most serious problem at the cemetery is limited space.
No new grave sites have been established since 1975, and only people who bought a site in perpetuity prior to 1977 can bury members in the cemetery, but the remains must be stacked above those who are already interred.
Municipal laws only permit five bodies to be buried in the same plot, but some tombs may have as many as ten buried one atop another.

The cemetery is working to encourage the acceptance of cremation as an alternative, and the crowded conditions, along with the desire to be interred there, has created demand for exhumation and cremation services.
The cemetery has four crematoria averaging about four cremations daily.
However, about ten traditional burials a day are still performed there, all in graves that had been used previously.

The cemetery is listed with National Institute of Anthropology and History as a historical monument due to the persons interred and age of the cemetery.
However, this has not kept the cemetery in good repair.
There are problems with maintenance and security.
In the back part of the cemetery in a gully, workers have discarded old caskets and urns that are considered unusable.
Those who work in the cemetery testify to graverobbing here for artistic and archeological pieces.
 In January 2009, a section of the original retaining wall built in the 19th century on the south side fell.
This section was over 1 km long and 4 meters high, damaging a number of graves.
Rehabilitation work was scheduled for September 2008 at a cost of 10 million pesos with a focus of making the cemetery more dignified for visitors, including the remodeling of the main entrance on Constituyentes Avenue.
Generally considered the largest cemetery in Latin America, the most serious problem at the cemetery is limited space. No new grave sites have been established since 1975, and only people who bought a site in perpetuity prior to 1977 can bury members in the cemetery, but the remains must be stacked above those who are already interred. Municipal laws only permit five bodies to be buried in the same plot, but some tombs may have as many as ten buried one atop another.
The cemetery is working to encourage the acceptance of cremation as an alternative, and the crowded conditions, along with the desire to be interred there, has created demand for exhumation and cremation services. The cemetery has four crematoria averaging about four cremations daily. However, about ten traditional burials a day are still performed there, all in graves that had been used previously.
The cemetery is listed with National Institute of Anthropology and History as a historical monument due to the persons interred and age of the cemetery. However, this has not kept the cemetery in good repair. There are problems with maintenance and security. In the back part of the cemetery in a gully, workers have discarded old caskets and urns that are considered unusable. Those who work in the cemetery testify to graverobbing here for artistic and archeological pieces.  In January 2009, a section of the original retaining wall built in the 19th century on the south side fell. This section was over 1 km long and 4 meters high, damaging a number of graves. Rehabilitation work was scheduled for September 2008 at a cost of 10 million pesos with a focus of making the cemetery more dignified for visitors, including the remodeling of the main entrance on Constituyentes Avenue.
Panteón de Dolores