The Aztec economy can be divided into two sectors. There was a political sector controlled by nobles and kings, and a commercial sector outside of their control.

Nobles controlled all the land, and the commoners gained access to this land through a variety of arrangements from serfdom to rental agreements.

One important aspect of the Aztec economy was trade. Traders were given special status and were also granted the ability to make arrangements (such as an ambassador or other government agent might do) with other groups. This enabled them to create vast trade networks and allowed for the organized movement of goods in and out of Tenochtitlan.