Guatemala

Presidential RepublicPop18.4MGDP (PPP)$232.7BCI36Beta CP0.0→Beta

Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →

Guatemala

⌘K

Overview

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.

Geography

Area

Land: 107,159 sq km
Water: 1,730 sq km
Total: 108,889 sq km

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
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

Land Use

Other: 23.7% (2023 est.)
Forest: 33.2% (2023 est.)
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.)

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
Coastline: 400 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Volcan Tajumulco (highest point in Central America) 4,220 m
Mean elevation: 759 m

Irrigated land: 3,375 sq km (2012)
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Land Boundaries

Total: 1,667 km
Border countries: Belize 266 km; El Salvador 199 km; Honduras 244 km; Mexico 958 km

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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"
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
Natural resources: petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower
Area comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Geographic coordinates: 15 30 N, 90 15 W
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

Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)

Fresh water lake(s): Lago de Izabal - 590 sq km

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 86.9% (2024 est.)
Female: 78.5% (2024 est.)
Total population: 82.1% (2024 est.)

Languages

Note: note: the 2003 Law of National Languages officially recognized 23 indigenous languages, including 21 Maya languages, Xinca, and Garifuna
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.

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

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 17.12 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 4.99 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 24.2 years
Total: 26.7 years (2025 est.)
Female: 25.4 years

Population

Male: 9,050,684
Total: 18,255,216 (2024 est.)
Female: 9,204,532

Nationality

Noun: Guatemalan(s)
Adjective: Guatemalan

Tobacco Use

Male: 22.5% (2025 est.)
Total: 11.8% (2025 est.)
Female: 1.5% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 53.1% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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)

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.)

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)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 58.3 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 49.8 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 11.7 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.5 (2024 est.)

Physician density: 1.28 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

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.)

Net migration rate: -2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.97 children born/woman (2025 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.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 28.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 23.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 0.99% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.96 (2025 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

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 71.5 years
Female: 75.6 years
Total population: 73.5 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 94 deaths/100,000 live births (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.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 0.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 1.63 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 3.095 million GUATEMALA CITY (capital) (2023)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 21.2% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 20.6 years (2014/15 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 56.2% (2018 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 14.4% (2021 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 10 years (2023 est.)
Total: 11 years (2023 est.)
Female: 11 years (2023 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

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

Capital

Name: Guatemala City
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" 
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 14 37 N, 90 31 W

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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

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

Country Name

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
Conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
Conventional short form: Guatemala

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Government type: presidential republic

Judicial Branch

Note: note 1: the Supreme Court of Justice president also supervises trial judges countrywide

note 2: 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)
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)
Subordinate courts: Appellate Courts of Accounts, Contentious Administrative Tribunal, courts of appeal, first instance courts, child and adolescence courts, minor or peace courts
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

Executive Branch

Note: note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
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%
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
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

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
National color(s): blue, white

National Heritage

Total world heritage sites: 4 (3 cultural, 1 mixed)
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)

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

Legislative Branch

Term in office: 4 years
Number of seats: 160 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: mixed system
Legislature name: Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la República)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 6/25/2023
Expected date of next election: June 2027
Percentage of women in chamber: 20%
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)

National Anthem(s)

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

National symbol(s): quetzal (bird)
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

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 745-1908
Chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: [1] (202) 745-4953
Consulate(s): Dallas, Del Rio (TX), Lake Worth (FL), McAllen (TX), Riverhead (NY), San Bernardino (CA), Tucson (AZ)
Chief of mission: Ambassador Hugo Eduardo BETETA (since 17 June 2024)
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

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [502] 2326-4654
Embassy: Boulevard Austriaco 11-51, Zone 16, Guatemala City
Telephone: [502] 2354-0000
Mailing address: 3190 Guatemala Place, Washington DC  20521-3190
Chief of mission: Ambassador Tobin BRADLEY (since 12 February 2024)
Email address and website: AmCitsGuatemala@state.gov

https://gt.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: 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
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Legislature

GUATEMALA · LEGISLATURE

Congress of the Republic

160 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

160

Majority line

Largest party

Semilla Movement

Parties

All political parties2 parties · 160 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Leaders

Current

BL
Bernardo Arévalo de León
- Head of StateSince 2024
- Head of GovernmentSince 2024

Economy

Budget

Note: note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $16.603 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $17.349 billion (2023 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $18.0B

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2022: $18.141 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $17.342 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $17.997 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $35.6B

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2022: $33.943 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $33.056 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $35.576 billion (2024 est.)

Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
Labor force: 7.575 million (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 31.56% of GDP (2020 est.)

Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2020: 31.56% of GDP (2020 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022: 19% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 19.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 19.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

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.)

Debt External

Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
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

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 2.6%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 3.1% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 2.4% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 2.3% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: USA 33%, El Salvador 11%, Honduras 9%, Nicaragua 6%, Mexico 4% (2023)
Imports partners: USA 30%, China 19%, Mexico 11%, El Salvador 4%, Costa Rica 3% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $14,369

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
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.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.7%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
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.)

Agricultural products: sugarcane, bananas, oil palm fruit, maize, cantaloupes/melons, potatoes, milk, tomatoes, chicken, pineapples (2023)
Exports commodities: garments, bananas, coffee, palm oil, raw sugar (2023)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, video displays, cars, trucks, packaged medicine (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): $3.3B

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
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.)

Taxes and other revenues: 11.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $113.2 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 88% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 10.9% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.6% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 16.1% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 15.9% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -31.5% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line: 56% (2023 est.)

Average Household Expenditures

On food: 35.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 1.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 2.9%

Note: note: annual % change based on 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.)

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $232.673 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
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.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 4% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 4.2% (2024 est.)
Female: 4.7% (2024 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
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.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 21.7% (2024 est.)
Services: 61.8% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 9.8% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Lowest 10%: 1.6% (2023 est.)
Highest 10%: 34.1% (2023 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2023: 45.2 (2023 est.)

Energy

Coal

Exports: 20 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 808,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 1.012 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Total petroleum production: 6,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 86.11 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 117,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Exports: 1.104 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 1.573 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Consumption: 12.222 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 4.995 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 1.716 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Natural Gas

Production: 2.016 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 1.991 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification rural areas: 98.2%
Electrification urban areas: 97.7%
Electrification total population: 99.1% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 17.096 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 1.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Geothermal: 2.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 25.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 42% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Biomass and waste: 25.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 56% (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

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 1.94 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2023 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 20.6 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (2022 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 921,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2023 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 2
Medium: 0
Key ports: Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
Very small: 1
Total ports: 3 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 2

Airports: 58 (2025)

Railways

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)
Narrow gauge: 800 km (2018) 0.914-m gauge

Heliports: 2 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 9 (2023)
BY type: oil tanker 1, other 8

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TG

Environment

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Land Use

Other: 23.7% (2023 est.)
Forest: 33.2% (2023 est.)
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.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 53.1% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 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.)

Environmental issues: deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 835 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Industrial: 603.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Agricultural: 1.886 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 18.546 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 4,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 2.31 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 16.232 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 21.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 127.91 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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

Military & Security

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

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 0.4%

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 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 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)
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 and security service personnel strengths: approximately 20,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s): La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)

Transnational Issues

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.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index36.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4123 / 1902024-Q4

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.47as of 2024-Q466 / 1702024-Q4

Freedom House StatusNot Free (42/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024

Cite this page

Cite this pageAPA · BibTeX · Chicago · JSON

Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Guatemala — vintage 2026-Q1: Guatemala factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/guatemala

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Guatemala

Area

Land Use

Elevation

Land Boundaries

Maritime Claims

Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)

Literacy

Languages

Sex Ratio

Median Age

Population

Nationality

Tobacco Use

Urbanization

Age Structure

Child Marriage

Dependency Ratios

Health Expenditure

Drinking Water Source

Education Expenditure

Infant Mortality Rate

Life Expectancy at Birth

Sanitation Facility Access

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

How power is organised

Capital

Citizenship

Constitution

Country Name

Judicial Branch

Executive Branch

National Heritage

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National Anthem(s)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

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Congress of the Republic

Current

Bernardo Arévalo de León

Budget

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Unemployment Rate

Real GDP Per Capita

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Current Account Balance

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Average Household Expenditures

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Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Coal

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Energy Consumption Per Capita

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Internet Users

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Urbanization

Waste and Recycling

Total Water Withdrawal

Carbon Dioxide Emissions