2023 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

31.98% (male 2,927,423/female 2,822,441)

15-64 years

62.78% (male 5,568,051/female 5,720,928)

65 years and over

5.24% (2023 est.) (male 420,782/female 521,178)

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

21.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

14.4% (2021/22)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

60.6% (2014/15)

Current health expenditure

6.5% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 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.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.25 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

22.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

28.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

25.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 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); 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

75.3 years

male

71.2 years

total population

73.2 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

79.3% (2021)

male

87.7%

total population

83.3%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2023)

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

96 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

25 years

male

23.8 years

total

24.4 years (2023 est.)

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

-1.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.2% (2016)

Physicians density

1.24 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

17,980,803 (2023 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

1.54% (2023 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

15-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.81 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

1.6% (2020 est.)

male

20.1% (2020 est.)

total

10.9% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.57 children born/woman (2023 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, 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

República de Guatemala

local short form

Guatemala

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Patrick VENTRELL (since August 2023)

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

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%; note - ARÉVALO is scheduled to take office 14 January 20242019: 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%

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 25 June 2023 with a runoff on 20 August 2023 (next to be held in June 2027)

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, 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); 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 - VAMOS 39, UNE 28, SEMILLA 23, CABAL 18, Valor-Unionist 12, VIVA 11, TODOS 6, VOS 4, BIEN 4, CREO 3, PPN 3, Victoria 3, Blue 2, Elephant 2, Change 1, Winaq-URNG 1; composition - men 128, women 32, percent of women 20%

elections

last held on 25 June 2023 (next to be held in June 2027)

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); 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); national colors: blue, white

Political parties and leaders

Bienestar Nacional or BIEN [Fidel REYES LEE]Blue Party (Partido Azul) or Blue [Jorge VILLAGRÁN]CABAL [Edmond MULET]Cambio [Manuel BALDIZÓN]Citizen Prosperity or PC [Hernan MEJIA and Jorge GARCIA SILVA]Commitment, Renewal, and Order or CREO [Rodolfo NEUTZE]Elephant Community (Comunidad Elefante) or Elephant [Hugo PEÑA Medina]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 [Bernardo ARÉVALO de León]National Advancement Party or PAN [Manuel CONDE]National Convergence Front or FCN-NACION [Javier HERNANDEZ]National Unity for Hope or UNE [Adim MALDONADO]Nationalist Change Union or UCN [Carlos ROJAS and Sofia HERNANDEZ] (dissolved 16 December 2021)Nosotros or PPN [Rudy GUZMAN and Nadia de LEÓN Torres]PODEMOS [Jose LEON]Political Movement Winaq or Winaq [Sonia GUTIERREZ Raguay]TODOS [Felipe ALEJOS]Value or VALOR [Zury RIOS and Lucrecia MARROQUIN]Vamos por una Guatemala Diferente or VAMOS [Alejandro GIAMMATTEI]Victory or VICTORIA [Juan Carlos RIVERA]Vision with Values or VIVA [Armando Damian CASTILLO Alvarado]Will, Opportunity and Solidarity (Voluntad, Oportunidad y Solidaridad) or VOS [Orlando BLANCO]

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

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.6% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

41.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$10.373 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$8.647 billion (2019 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 2019

$1.821 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$3.918 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$2.113 billion (2021 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

growing Central American economy; unique South Korean business relations; high poverty, inequality, and malnutrition; low government revenues impede educational, sanitation, and healthcare efforts; high migration, child labor, and remittances

Exchange rates

Currency

quetzales (GTQ) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

7.348 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

7.519 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

7.697 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

7.722 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

7.734 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$13.598 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$12.713 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$15.318 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

clothing, bananas, coffee, palm oil, cardamoms, raw sugar, iron alloys (2021)

Exports - partners

United States 32%, El Salvador 12%, Honduras 10%, Nicaragua 6%, Mexico 4% (2021)

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 2014

48.3 (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

38.4% (2014)

lowest 10%

1.6%

Imports

Imports 2019

$21.527 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$19.267 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$27.388 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, cars, packaged medicines, delivery trucks, clothing and apparel, polymers (2021)

Imports - partners

United States 33%, China 17%, Mexico 9%, El Salvador 5%, Costa Rica 3% (2021)

Industrial production growth rate

8.49% (2021 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

3.7% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

3.21% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

4.26% (2021 est.)

Labor force

6.671 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

59.3% (2014 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2018

26.48% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

26.49% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

31.56% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$143.985 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$141.445 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$152.734 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

4% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-1.76% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

7.98% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$8,700 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$8,400 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$8,900 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$14.784 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$18.464 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$20.935 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

9.97% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

2.19% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

3.55% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

3.57% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

9.4%

male

6.3%

total

7.2% (2021 est.)

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

98.1% (2021)

electrification - total population

97.8% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

97.6% (2021)

population without electricity

1 million (2020)

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

51% (2021 est.)

total

9.18 million (2021 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 126 per 100 persons (2021)

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

13 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

2,319,643 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

126 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

22,124,839 (2021 est.)

Airports

291 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

16

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

275

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TG

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

oil tanker 1, other 8

total

9 (2022)

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

the military is responsible for maintaining 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 extensively to support the National Civil Police in internal security operations (as permitted by the constitution) to combat organized crime, gang violence, and narco-trafficking; in recent years, however, the military has moved to refocus on border security and preparing for conventional operations; it 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 assistancethe Land Forces are organized into approximately 15 small combat brigades, nearly half of which are infantry; the remainder include brigades of marines, military police, paratroopers, presidential guards, and special forces, including some specialized for jungle and mountain operations that were created to assist in combating crime; the Naval Force has commands for both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, operates a small flotilla of patrol boats, and has a special forces element; the Air Force has a few light fixed-wing ground attack aircraft and multipurpose helicopters; for its internal security missions and supporting the police, the military has typically organized into task forcesthe 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 (2023)

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) (2023)

note

note: the National Civil Police (Policia Nacional Civil or PNC) are under the Ministry of Government (Interior)

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 (2023)

Military deployments

150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory is limited and mostly comprised of older US equipment; in recent years, Guatemala has received small amounts of equipment from several countries, including Colombia, Spain, and the US (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

0.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.5% 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 12-24 months; women may volunteer (2023)

note

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

Disputes - international

Guatemala-Belize: demarcated but disputed 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 are also problems; the dispute was referred to the ICJ in 2019 for binding resolution; the 12-nm territorial sea claims of Belize and Honduras close off Guatemalan access to Caribbean in the Bahia de Amatique; maritime boundary remains unresolved pending further negotiationGuatemala-Mexico: thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans cross the porous border with Mexico looking for work in Mexico and the US

Illicit drugs

a major transit country for illegal drugs; illicit cultivation of opium poppies, marijuana, and coca plants in rural areas; a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics  

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

242,000 (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) (2022)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

16.78 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

10.7 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

20.75 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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 lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lago de Izabal - 590 sq km

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.78% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

127.91 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.89 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

600 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

840 million cubic meters (2020 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.)