2020 Edition

Background

The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict.

Area

land

107,159 sq km

total

108,889 sq km

water

1,730 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Coastline

400 km

Elevation

highest point

Volcan Tajumulco (highest point in Central America) 4,220 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

759 m

Geographic coordinates

15 30 N, 90 15 W

Geography - note

note 1: despite having both eastern and western coastlines (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean), there are no natural harbors on the west coast note 2: Guatemala is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes

Irrigated land

3,375 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Belize 266 km; El Salvador 199 km; Honduras 244 km; Mexico 958 km

total

1,667 km

Land use

agricultural land

43% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 14.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 11% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 17.5% (2023 est.)

forest

33.2% (2023 est.)

other

23.7% (2023 est.)

Location

Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lago de Izabal - 590 sq km

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms volcanism: significant volcanic activity in the Sierra Madre range; Santa Maria (3,772 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pacaya (2,552 m) is one of the country's most active volcanoes, with frequent eruptions since 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Acatenango, Almolonga, Atitlan, Fuego, and Tacana; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Natural resources

petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower

Population distribution

the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions; more than half of the population lives in rural areas

Terrain

two east-west trending mountain chains divide the country into three regions: the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of mountains, and the vast northern Peten lowlands

Age structure

0-14 years

31.5% (male 2,925,079/female 2,819,927)

15-64 years

63.2% (male 5,688,500/female 5,839,958)

65 years and over

5.4% (2024 est.) (male 437,105/female 544,647)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

1.63 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

17.12 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

9.6% (2015)

women married by age 15

6.2% (2015)

women married by age 18

29.5% (2015)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

14.4% (2021 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

56.2% (2018 est.)

Death rate

4.99 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

8.5 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

11.7 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

58.3 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

49.8 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 91% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 94.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 97.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 5.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.2% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

17.3% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

Mestizo (mixed Indigenous-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) 56%, Maya 41.7%, Xinca (Indigenous, non-Maya) 1.8%, African descent 0.2%, Garifuna (mixed West and Central African, Island Carib, and Arawak) 0.1%, foreign 0.2% (2018 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.96 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

6.9% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

16.9% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

21.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

28.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

23.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

Spanish (official) 69.9%, Maya languages 29.7% (Q'eqchi' 8.3%, K'iche 7.8%, Mam 4.4%, Kaqchikel 3%, Q'anjob'al 1.2%, Poqomchi' 1%, other 4%), other 0.4% (includes Xinca and Garifuna) (2018 est.)

major-language sample(s)

La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.6 years

male

71.5 years

total population

73.5 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

78.5% (2024 est.)

male

86.9% (2024 est.)

total population

82.1% (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

3.095 million GUATEMALA CITY (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

94 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

25.4 years

male

24.2 years

total

26.7 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.6 years (2014/15 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Guatemalan

noun

Guatemalan(s)

Net migration rate

-2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.2% (2016)

Physician density

1.28 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

9,204,532

male

9,050,684

total

18,255,216 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

0.99% (2025 est.)

Religions

Evangelical 45.7%, Roman Catholic 42.4%, none 11%, unspecified 0.9% (2023 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 68.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 80.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 91.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 31.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 19.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 8.6% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2023 est.)

male

10 years (2023 est.)

total

11 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.8 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

1.5% (2025 est.)

male

22.5% (2025 est.)

total

11.8% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.97 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

53.1% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepéquez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Sololá, Suchitepéquez, Totonicapán, Zacapa

Capital

etymology

the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala"

geographic coordinates

14 37 N, 90 31 W

name

Guatemala City

time difference

UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years with no absences of six consecutive months or longer or absences totaling more than a year

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the president of the republic, by agreement of 10 or more deputies of Congress, by the Constitutional Court, or by public petition of at least 5,000 citizens; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Congress membership and approval by public referendum, referred to as "popular consultation"; constitutional articles such as national sovereignty, the republican form of government, limitations on those seeking the presidency, or presidential tenure cannot be amended

history

several previous; latest adopted 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended and reinstated in 1994

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Guatemala

conventional short form

Guatemala

etymology

the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala"

local long form

República de Guatemala

local short form

Guatemala

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Tobin BRADLEY (since 12 February 2024)

email address and website

AmCitsGuatemala@state.gov https://gt.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Boulevard Austriaco 11-51, Zone 16, Guatemala City

FAX

[502] 2326-4654

mailing address

3190 Guatemala Place, Washington DC 20521-3190

telephone

[502] 2354-0000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Hugo Eduardo BETETA (since 17 June 2024)

consulate(s)

Dallas, Del Rio (TX), Lake Worth (FL), McAllen (TX), Riverhead (NY), San Bernardino (CA), Tucson (AZ)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus (OH), Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New York, Oklahoma City, Omaha (NE), Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence (RI), Raleigh (NC), Rockville (MD), San Francisco, Seattle

email address and website

embestadosunidos@minex.gob.gt https://estadosunidos.minex.gob.gt/home/home.aspx

FAX

[1] (202) 745-1908

telephone

[1] (202) 745-4953

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Bernardo ARÉVALO de León (since 15 January 2024)

election results

2023: Bernardo ARÉVALO de León elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Sandra TORRES (UNE) 21%; Bernardo ARÉVALO de León (SEMILLA) 15.6%, Manuel CONDE Orellana (VAMOS) 10.4%; Armando CASTILLO Alvarado (VIVA) 9.6%, other 43.4%; percent of vote in second round - Bernardo ARÉVALO de León 60.9%, Sandra TORRES 39.1% 2019: Alejandro GIAMMATTEI elected president; percent of vote in first round - Sandra TORRES (UNE) 25.5%, Alejandro GIAMMATTEI (VAMOS) 14%, Edmond MULET (PHG) 11.2%, Thelma CABRERA (MLP) 10.4%, Roberto ARZU (PAN-PODEMOS) 6.1%, other 32.8%; percent of vote in second round - Alejandro GIAMMATTEI 58%, Sandra TORRES 42%

election/appointment process

president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (not eligible for consecutive terms)

expected date of next election

June 2027

head of government

President Bernardo ARÉVALO de León (since 15 January 2024)

most recent election date

25 June 2023, with a runoff on 20 August 2023

Flag

description: three equal vertical bands of light blue (left side), white, and light blue, with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green-and-red quetzal (the national bird), a scroll with the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain), a pair of crossed rifles, and a pair of crossed swords; a laurel wreath frames the objects meaning: the rifles stand for Guatemala's willingness to defend itself, the swords for honor, and the laurel wreath for victory; blue stands for the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and white for peace and purity

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates, including the court president and organized into 3 chambers)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court magistrates elected by the Congress of the Republic from candidates proposed by the Postulation Committee, an independent body of deans of the country's university law schools, representatives of the country's law associations, and representatives of the Courts of Appeal; magistrates elected for concurrent, renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges - 1 elected by the Congress of the Republic, 1 by the Supreme Court, 1 by the president of the republic, 1 by the (public) University of San Carlos, and 1 by the Assembly of the College of Attorneys and Notaries; judges elected for renewable, consecutive 5-year terms; the presidency of the court rotates among the magistrates for a single 1-year term

subordinate courts

Appellate Courts of Accounts, Contentious Administrative Tribunal, courts of appeal, first instance courts, child and adolescence courts, minor or peace courts

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

electoral system

mixed system

expected date of next election

June 2027

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la República)

most recent election date

6/25/2023

number of seats

160 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Let’s Go for a Different Guatemala (Vamos) (39); National Unity of Hope Party (UNE) (28); Seed Movement (Semilla) (23); Cabal (18); Vision with Values (VIVA) (11); Other (41)

percentage of women in chamber

20%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1897, modified lyrics adopted 1934; Cuban poet Jose Joaquin PALMA anonymously submitted lyrics to a public contest calling for a national anthem and it was not discovered until 1911; anthem has four verses with four separate choruses at the end of each verse -- all are official, and the anthem is sung in its entirety when performed in Guatemala

lyrics/music

Jose Joaquin PALMA/Rafael Alvarez OVALLE

title

"Himno Nacional de Guatemala" (National Anthem of Guatemala)

National color(s)

blue, white

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Antigua Guatemala (c); Tikal National Park (m); Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua (c); National Archaeological Park Tak'alik Ab'aj (c)

total World Heritage Sites

4 (3 cultural, 1 mixed)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National symbol(s)

quetzal (bird)

Political parties

Bienestar Nacional or BIEN Blue Party (Partido Azul) or Blue CABAL Cambio Citizen Prosperity or PC Commitment, Renewal, and Order or CREO Elephant Community (Comunidad Elefante) or Elephant Everyone Together for Guatemala or TODOS Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG-MAIZ or URNG Humanist Party of Guatemala or PHG Movement for the Liberation of Peoples or MLP Movimiento Semilla or SEMILLA National Advancement Party or PAN National Convergence Front or FCN-NACION National Unity for Hope or UNE Nationalist Change Union or UCN (dissolved 16 December 2021) Nosotros or PPN PODEMOS Political Movement Winaq or Winaq TODOS Value or VALOR Vamos por una Guatemala Diferente or VAMOS Victory or VICTORIA Vision with Values or VIVA Will, Opportunity and Solidarity (Voluntad, Oportunidad y Solidaridad) or VOS

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugarcane, bananas, oil palm fruit, maize, cantaloupes/melons, potatoes, milk, tomatoes, chicken, pineapples (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

35.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$17.349 billion (2023 est.)

revenues

$16.603 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

$1.116 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$3.212 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$3.333 billion (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$11.862 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

developing Central American economy; steady economic growth fueled by remittances; high poverty and income inequality; limited government services, lack of employment opportunities, and frequent natural disasters impede human development efforts and drive emigration

Exchange rates

Currency

quetzales (GTQ) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

7.722 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

7.734 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

7.748 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

7.832 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

7.759 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$18.141 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$17.342 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$17.997 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

garments, bananas, coffee, palm oil, raw sugar (2023)

Exports - partners

USA 33%, El Salvador 11%, Honduras 9%, Nicaragua 6%, Mexico 4% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

15.9% (2024 est.)

government consumption

10.9% (2024 est.)

household consumption

88% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-31.5% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16.1% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0.6% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

9.8% (2024 est.)

industry

21.7% (2024 est.)

services

61.8% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$113.2 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2023

45.2 (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

34.1% (2023 est.)

lowest 10%

1.6% (2023 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$33.943 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$33.056 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$35.576 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, video displays, cars, trucks, packaged medicine (2023)

Imports - partners

USA 30%, China 19%, Mexico 11%, El Salvador 4%, Costa Rica 3% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

2% (2024 est.)

Industries

sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.9% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.2% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.9% (2024 est.)

Labor force

7.575 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

56% (2023 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2020

31.56% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$216.815 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$224.475 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$232.673 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.2% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.5% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.7% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$12,100 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$12,400 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$12,600 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

19% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

19.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

19.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$20.415 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$21.311 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$24.412 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

11.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

3.1% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

2.4% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

2.3% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

4.7% (2024 est.)

male

4% (2024 est.)

total

4.2% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

1.012 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

20 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

808,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

12.222 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

1.104 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

1.573 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

4.995 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.716 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

98.2%

electrification - total population

99.1% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

97.7%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

25.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

25.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

geothermal

2.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

42% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

1.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

17.096 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

1.991 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

2.016 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

86.11 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

117,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

6,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5 (2023 est.)

total

921,000 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

4 privately owned national terrestrial TV channels dominate TV broadcasting; multi-channel satellite and cable services are available; 1 government-owned radio station and hundreds of privately owned radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.gt

Internet users

percent of population

56% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

11 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

1.94 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

115 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

20.6 million (2023 est.)

Airports

58 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TG

Heliports

2 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

oil tanker 1, other 8

total

9 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

2

small

2

total ports

3 (2024)

very small

1

Railways

narrow gauge

800 km (2018) 0.914-m gauge

total

800 km (2018)

Military - note

the military is responsible for maintaining the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the honor of Guatemala, but has long focused on internal security; since the 2000s, the Guatemalan Government has used the military to support the National Civil Police in internal security operations (as permitted by the constitution) to combat organized crime, gang violence, and narco-trafficking; other responsibilities include border security, cybersecurity, and providing humanitarian assistance; it also participates in UN missions on a small scale and has a peacekeeping operations training command that offers training to regional countries; the military has security ties with regional partners such as Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, and Honduras; cooperation with El Salvador and Honduras has included a combined police-military anti-gang task force to patrol border areas; it also has ties with the US, including joint training exercises and material assistance the military held power during most of Guatemala’s 36-year civil war (1960-1996) and conducted a campaign of widespread violence and repression, particularly against the country’s majority indigenous population; more than 200,000 people were estimated to have been killed or disappeared during the conflict (2025)

Military and security forces

Army of Guatemala (Ejercito de Guatemala; aka Armed Forces of Guatemala or Fuerzas Armadas de Guatemala): Land Forces (Fuerzas de Tierra), Naval Forces (Fuerzas de Mar), and Air Force (Fuerza de Aire) (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 20,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

Military deployments

180 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military is lightly armed with an inventory mostly comprised of ageing US equipment; in recent years, the US has provided additional secondhand equipment (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

0.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

0.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-28 for voluntary service for men and women (17-21 for military schools); all Guatemalan men 18-49 are subject to selective compulsory service; service obligation is 12-24 months (2025)

Illicit drugs

USG identification

major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

572,813 (2024 est.)

refugees

4,676 (2024 est.)

Terrorist group(s)

La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

2.31 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

4,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

16.232 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

18.546 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution

International environmental agreements

party to

Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

21.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

127.91 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.886 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

603.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

835 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2.757 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

10.4% (2022 est.)