2022 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 respectively), there are no natural harbors on the west coast note 2: Guatemala is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire

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

41.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 14.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 8.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 18.2% (2018 est.)

forest

33.6% (2018 est.)

other

25.2% (2018 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 stormsvolcanism: 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), which erupted in May 2010 causing an ashfall on Guatemala City and prompting evacuations, 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

33.68% (male 2,944,145/female 2,833,432)

15-24 years

19.76% (male 1,705,730/female 1,683,546)

25-54 years

36.45% (male 3,065,933/female 3,186,816)

55-64 years

5.41% (male 431,417/female 496,743)

65 years and over

4.7% (male 363,460/female 442,066) (2020 est.)

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

22.34 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

12.4% (2014/15)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

60.6% (2014/15)

Current health expenditure

6.2% of GDP (2019)

Death rate

4.91 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Demographic profile

Guatemala is a predominantly poor country that struggles in several areas of health and development, including infant, child, and maternal mortality, malnutrition, literacy, and contraceptive awareness and use. The country's large indigenous population is disproportionately affected. Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America and has the highest fertility rate in Latin America. It also has the highest population growth rate in Latin America, which is likely to continue because of its large reproductive-age population and high birth rate. Almost half of Guatemala's population is under age 19, making it the youngest population in Latin America. Guatemala's total fertility rate has slowly declined during the last few decades due in part to limited government-funded health programs. However, the birth rate is still more close to three children per woman and is markedly higher among its rural and indigenous populations.Guatemalans have a history of emigrating legally and illegally to Mexico, the United States, and Canada because of a lack of economic opportunity, political instability, and natural disasters. Emigration, primarily to the United States, escalated during the 1960 to 1996 civil war and accelerated after a peace agreement was signed. Thousands of Guatemalans who fled to Mexico returned after the war, but labor migration to southern Mexico continues.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

7.9

potential support ratio

12.7 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

60.9

youth dependency ratio

53

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 92.2% of population

improved: total

total: 95% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 5% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.1% of population

Education expenditures

3.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-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.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2021 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

22.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

29.51 deaths/1,000 live births

total

26.18 deaths/1,000 live births

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); note - the 2003 Law of National Languages officially recognized 23 indigenous languages, including 21 Maya languages, 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

75.04 years (2022 est.)

male

70.88 years

total population

72.91 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

76.7% (2018)

male

85.3%

total population

80.8%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

Major urban areas - population

3.095 million GUATEMALA CITY (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

95 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

23.8 years (2020 est.)

male

22.6 years

total

23.2 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.6 years (2014/15 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Guatemalan

noun

Guatemalan(s)

Net migration rate

-1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.2% (2016)

Physicians density

1.24 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

17,703,190 (2022 est.)

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

Population growth rate

1.58% (2022 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 41.7%, Evangelical 38.8%, other 2.7%, atheist 0.1%, none 13.8%, unspecified 2.9% (2018 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 66.3% of population

improved: total

total: 78.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 90.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 33.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 21.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 9.6% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

10 years (2019)

male

11 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.96 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.68 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Tobacco use

female

1.6% (2020 est.)

male

20.1% (2020 est.)

total

10.9% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.62 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

53.1% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

5.7% (2019 est.)

male

4%

total

4.6%

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, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa

Capital

etymology

the Spanish conquistadors used many native Americans as allies in their conquest of Guatemala; the site of their first capital (established in 1524), a former Maya settlement, was called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of trees" or "forested land", but which the Spanish pronounced "Guatemala"; the Spanish applied that name to a re-founded capital city three years later and eventually it became the name of the country

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

amendments

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; amended 1993

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 used many native Americans as allies in their conquest of Guatemala; the site of their first capital (established in 1524), a former Maya settlement, was called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of trees" or "forested land", but which the Spanish pronounced "Guatemala"; the Spanish applied that name to a re-founded capital city three years later and eventually it became the name of the country

local long form

Republica de Guatemala

local short form

Guatemala

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador William W. POPP (since 13 August 2020)

email address and website

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

embassy

Avenida Reforma 7-01, Zone 10, Guatemala City

FAX

[502] 2326-4654

mailing address

3190 Guatemala Place, Washington DC  20521-3190

telephone

[502] 2326-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Alfonso Jose QUINONEZ LEMUS (since 17 July 2020)

consulate(s)

Lake Worth (FL), Silver Spring (MD), Tucson (AZ)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Del Rio (TX), Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence (RI), Raleigh (NC), San Bernardino (CA), San Francisco, Seattle

email address and website

infoembaguateeuu@minex.gob.gt

FAX

[1] (202) 745-1908

telephone

[1] (202) 745-4953

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Alejandro GIAMMATTEI (since 14 January 2020); Vice President Cesar Guillermo CASTILLO Reyes (since 14 January 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

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 (VAMOS) 58%, Sandra TORRES (UNE) 42%2015: Jimmy Ernesto MORALES Cabrera elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jimmy Ernesto MORALES Cabrera (FNC) 23.9%, Sandra TORRES (UNE) 19.8%, Manuel BALDIZON (LIDER) 19.6%, other 36.7%; percent of vote in second round - Jimmy Ernesto MORALES Cabrera 67.4%, Sandra TORRES 32.6%

elections/appointments

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); election last held on 16 June 2019 with a runoff on 11 August 2019 (next to be held in June 2023)

head of government

President Alejandro GIAMMATTEI (since 14 January 2020); Vice President Cesar Guillermo CASTILLO Reyes (since 14 January 2020)

Flag description

three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist 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) representing liberty and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles signifying Guatemala's willingness to defend itself and a pair of crossed swords representing honor and framed by a laurel wreath symbolizing victory; the blue bands represent the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea; the white band denotes peace and purity

note

note: one of only two national flags featuring a firearm, the other is Mozambique

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

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, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, 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); note - the court president also supervises trial judges countrywide; note - the Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitucionalidad of Guatemala resides outside the country's judicial system; its sole purpose is the interpretation of the constitution and to see that the laws and regulations are not superior to the constitution (consists of 5 titular magistrates and 5 substitute magistrates)

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

description

unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (160 seats; 128 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies in the country's 22 departments and 32 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed party-list proportional representation vote, using the D'Hondt method; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNE 52, VAMOS 17, UCN 12, VALOR 9, BIEN 8, FCN-NACION 8, SEMILLA 7, TODOS 7, VIVA 7, CREO 6, PHG 6, VICTORIA 4, Winaq 4, PC 3, PU 3, URNG 3, PAN 2, MLP 1, PODEMOS 1; composition - men 129, women 31, percent of women 19.4%

elections

last held on 16 June 2019 (next to be held on June 2023)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Jose Joaquin PALMA/Rafael Alvarez OVALLE

name

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

note

note: adopted 1897, modified lyrics adopted 1934; Cuban poet Jose Joaquin PALMA anonymously submitted lyrics to a public contest calling for a national anthem; his authorship was not discovered until 1911

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Antigua Guatemala (c); Tikal National Park (m); Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua (c)

total World Heritage Sites

3 (2 cultural, 1 mixed)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National symbol(s)

quetzal (bird); national colors: blue, white

Political parties and leaders

Bienestar Nacional or BIEN [Fidel REYES LEE]Citizen Prosperity or PC [Hernan MEJIA and Jorge GARCIA SILVA]Commitment, Renewal, and Order or CREO [Rodolfo NEUTZE]Everyone Together for Guatemala or TODOS [Felipe ALEJOS]Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG-MAIZ or URNG [Walter FELIX]Humanist Party of Guatemala or PHG [Rudio MERIDA]Movement for the Liberation of Peoples or MLP [Thelma CABRERA and Vincenta JERONIMO]Movimiento Semilla or SEMILLA [Samuel PEREZ Alvarez]National Advancement Party or PAN [Manuel CONDE]National Convergence Front or FCN-NACION [Javier HERNANDEZ]National Unity for Hope or UNE [Sandra TORRES and Jorge VARGAS]Nationalist Change Union or UCN [Carlos ROJAS and Sofia HERNANDEZ] (dissolved 16 December 2021)PODEMOS [Jose LEON]Political Movement Winaq or Winaq [Sonia GUTIERREZ Raguay]Value or VALOR [Zury RIOS and Lucrecia MARROQUIN]Vamos por una Guatemala Diferente or VAMOS [Alejandro GIAMMATTEI]Victory or VICTORIA [Abraham RIVERA and his four sons  Amilcar, Juan, Manuel, and Edgar]Vision with Values or VIVA [Armando Damian CASTILLO Alvarado]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces and police by law cannot vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day

Agricultural products

sugar cane, bananas, oil palm fruit, maize, melons, potatoes, milk, plantains, pineapples, rubber

Budget

expenditures

9.156 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

8.164 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BB- (2020)

Moody's rating

Ba1 (2010)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BB- (2017)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

$1.023 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

$1.134 billion (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$21.45 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$22.92 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America with a GDP per capita roughly half the average for Latin America and the Caribbean. The agricultural sector accounts for 13.5% of GDP and 31% of the labor force; key agricultural exports include sugar, coffee, bananas, and vegetables. Guatemala is the top remittance recipient in Central America as a result of Guatemala's large expatriate community in the US. These inflows are a primary source of foreign income, equivalent to two-thirds of the country's exports and about a tenth of its GDP.   The 1996 peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala has since pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. The Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force in July 2006, spurring increased investment and diversification of exports, with the largest increases in ethanol and non-traditional agricultural exports. While CAFTA-DR has helped improve the investment climate, concerns over security, the lack of skilled workers, and poor infrastructure continue to hamper foreign direct investment.   The distribution of income remains highly unequal with the richest 20% of the population accounting for more than 51% of Guatemala's overall consumption. More than half of the population is below the national poverty line, and 23% of the population lives in extreme poverty. Poverty among indigenous groups, which make up more than 40% of the population, averages 79%, with 40% of the indigenous population living in extreme poverty. Nearly one-half of Guatemala's children under age five are chronically malnourished, one of the highest malnutrition rates in the world.

Exchange rates

Currency

quetzales (GTQ) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

7.7322 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

7.6548 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

7.5999 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

7.5999 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

7.323 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$13.35 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2019

$13.6 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$13.12 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

bananas, raw sugar, coffee, cardamom, palm oil (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 33%, El Salvador 12%, Honduras 8%, Mexico 5%, Nicaragua 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

18.8% (2017 est.)

government consumption

9.7% (2017 est.)

household consumption

86.3% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-26.9% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

12.3% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.2% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

13.3% (2017 est.)

industry

23.4% (2017 est.)

services

63.2% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$76.678 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2011

56 (2011)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

48.3 (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

38.4% (2014)

lowest 10%

1.6%

Imports

Imports 2018

$21.17 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2019

$21.52 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$19.3 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicines, cars, delivery trucks (2019)

Imports - partners

United States 36%, China 12%, Mexico 11%, El Salvador 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

1.8% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

4.4% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

3.7% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

3.7% (2019 est.)

Labor force

6.664 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

31.4%

industry

12.8%

services

55.8% (2017 est.)

Population below poverty line

59.3% (2014 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

24.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

24.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$138.33 billion (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$143.68 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$141.5 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

4.1% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

3.1% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

2.8% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$8,500 (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$8,700 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$8,400 (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$9.156 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$11.77 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

10.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

2.4% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

2.3% (2017 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

5.7% (2019 est.)

male

4%

total

4.6%

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

5.037 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

14.004 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

19.041 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

2.28 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

2.376 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

10,793,650,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

2.19 billion kWh (2019 est.)

imports

1.141 billion kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

5.185 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.587 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

85% (2019)

electrification - total population

92% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

99% (2019)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

17% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

39.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

2.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

38% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

1.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

2.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

19.411 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

6,700 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

86.1 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

112,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

10,300 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

10,810 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

97,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

1,162 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2020 est.)

total

612,000 (2020 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

50% (2020 est.)

total

8,429,167 (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity roughly 13 per 100 persons; fixed-line investments are concentrating on improving rural connectivity; mobile-cellular teledensity about 114 per 100 persons (2020)

general assessment

Guatemala’s telecom infrastructure has suffered from years of under investment from state and provincial government; the poor state of fixed-line infrastructure has led to Guatemala having one of the lowest fixed-line teledensities in the region; in many rural regions of the country there is no fixed-line access available, and so mobile services are adopted by necessity; private investment has been supported by government and regulatory efforts, resulting in a steady growth in the number of fixed lines which has supported growth in the fixed broadband segment; delays in launching LTE services left the country lagging behind in the development of mobile broadband and the benefits which it can bring to the country's social and economic growth; two new submarine cables are due for completion by 2022; improved international connectivity should drive further uptake of both fixed and mobile broadband services; intense competition among the networks has helped to improve services and lower prices for end-users; given the commercial impetus of networks, insufficient government financial investment has resulted in many regional areas remaining with poor or non-existent services; the country benefits from one of the most open regulatory frameworks, with all telecom sectors having been open to competition since 1996; mobile subscriptions are on par with the regional average, though the slower growth in the mobile subscriber base suggests a level of market saturation, with the emphasis among networks being on generating revenue via mobile data services (2021)

international

country code - 502; landing points for the ARCOS, AMX-1, American Movil-Texius West Coast Cable and the SAm-1 fiber-optic submarine cable system that, together, provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

13 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

2,272,467 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

114 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

20,390,671 (2020 est.)

Airports

total

291 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

4

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

6

total

16

under 914 m

4 (2021)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

77

total

275

under 914 m

195 (2021)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TG

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

oil tanker 1, other 8 (2021)

total

9

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

110,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

145,795 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

5

number of registered air carriers

3 (2020)

Pipelines

480 km oil (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Railways

narrow gauge

800 km (2018) 0.914-m gauge

note

note: despite the existence of a railway network, all rail service was suspended in 2007 and no passenger or freight train currently runs in the country (2018)

total

800 km (2018)

Roadways

paved

7,458 km (2020)

total

17,440 km (2020)

unpaved

9,982 km (2020) (includes 4,548 km of rural roads)

Waterways

990 km (2012) (260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season)

Military - note

since the 2000s, the Guatemalan Government has used the Army to support the National Civil Police in internal security operations (as permitted by the constitution) to combat organized crime, gang violence, and narco-trafficking 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 (2022)

Military and security forces

Army of Guatemala (Ejercito de Guatemala): Land Forces (Fuerzas de Tierra), Naval Forces (Fuerzas de Mar), and Air Force (Fuerza de Aire); Ministry of Government (Interior): National Civil Police (Policia Nacional Civil; includes paramilitary units) (2022)

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 20,000 active military personnel (18,000 Land Forces; 1,000 Naval Forces; 1,000 Air Forces); approximately 30,000 National Civil Police (2022)

Military deployments

155 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (May 2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Guatemalan military inventory is small and mostly comprised of older US equipment; since 2010, Guatemala has received small amounts of equipment from several countries, including the US (2022)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

0.4% of GDP (2018) (approximately $470 million)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.4% of GDP (2019) (approximately $530 million)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.4% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.4% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military service age and obligation

all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are eligible for military service; in practice, most of the force is volunteer, however, a selective draft system is employed, resulting in a small portion of 17-21 year-olds being conscripted; conscript service obligation varies from 1 to 2 years; women may volunteer (2022)

note

note: as of 2017, women comprised up to 10% of the active military

Disputes - international

Guatemala-Belize: Demarcated but insecure boundary due to Guatemala’s claims to more than half of Belizean territory.  Line of Adjacency operates in lieu of an international boundary to control influx of Guatemalan squatters onto Belizean territory. Smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and human trafficking for sexual exploitation and debt bondage are all problems. Belize lacks resources to detect and extradite impoverished Guatemalan peasants squatting in Belizean rain forests in the remote border areas. Both countries agreed in April 2012 to hold simultaneous referenda, scheduled for 6 October 2013, to decide whether to refer the dispute to the ICJ for binding resolution, but this vote was suspended indefinitely. At present, Belize and Honduras 12-nm territorial sea claims close off Guatemalan access to Caribbean in the Bahia de Amatique. Maritime boundary remains unresolved pending further negotiation.Guatemala-Mexico: Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the US.

Illicit drugs

a major transit country for illegal drugs destined for the United States with increasing cultivation originating from Guatemala; farmers  cultivate opium poppy and cannabis

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

243,000 (more than three decades of internal conflict that ended in 1996 displaced mainly the indigenous Maya population and rural peasants; ongoing drug cartel and gang violence) (2021)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

16.78 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

10.7 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

23.59 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Environment - current issues

deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

41.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 14.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 8.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 18.2% (2018 est.)

forest

33.6% (2018 est.)

other

25.2% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lago de Izabal - 590 sq km

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.78% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

127.91 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.886 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

603.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

835 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

53.1% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,756,741 tons (2015 est.)