Guatemala
Top Sights & Landmarks
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.
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
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
400 km
Geography - note
note 1: despite having both eastern and western coastlines (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean), there are no natural harbors on the west coast note 2: Guatemala is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes
Irrigated land
3,375 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s): Lago de Izabal - 590 sq km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Natural hazards
numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms volcanism: significant volcanic activity in the Sierra Madre range; Santa Maria (3,772 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pacaya (2,552 m) is one of the country's most active volcanoes, with frequent eruptions since 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Acatenango, Almolonga, Atitlan, Fuego, and Tacana; see note 2 under "Geography - note"
Natural resources
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
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
1.63 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
14.4% (2021 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
56.2% (2018 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 51.1 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 41.9 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 9.2 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 10.9 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
3.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 17.3% national budget (2025 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.96 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
6.9% of GDP (2021) 16.9% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 23.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 28.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Literacy
total population: 82.1% (2024 est.) male: 86.9% (2024 est.) female: 78.5% (2024 est.)
Major urban areas - population
3.095 million GUATEMALA CITY (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
94 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
20.6 years (2014/15 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Nationality
noun: Guatemalan(s) adjective: Guatemalan
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
21.2% (2016)
Physician density
1.28 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 11 years (2023 est.) male: 10 years (2023 est.) female: 11 years (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 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 11.8% (2025 est.) male: 22.5% (2025 est.) female: 1.5% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
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.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
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
Detailed Government Information
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
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
conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala conventional short form: Guatemala local long form: República de Guatemala local short form: Guatemala etymology: the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala"
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates, including the court president and organized into 3 chambers) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court magistrates elected by the Congress of the Republic from candidates proposed by the Postulation Committee, an independent body of deans of the country's university law schools, representatives of the country's law associations, and representatives of the Courts of Appeal; magistrates elected for concurrent, renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges - 1 elected by the Congress of the Republic, 1 by the Supreme Court, 1 by the president of the republic, 1 by the (public) University of San Carlos, and 1 by the Assembly of the College of Attorneys and Notaries; judges elected for renewable, consecutive 5-year terms; the presidency of the court rotates among the magistrates for a single 1-year term subordinate courts: Appellate Courts of Accounts, Contentious Administrative Tribunal, courts of appeal, first instance courts, child and adolescence courts, minor or peace courts 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)
Legal system
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
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
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
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
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Import Profile
Top Import Partners
Major Import Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
$3.333 billion (2024 est.) $3.212 billion (2023 est.) $1.116 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$11.862 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
quetzales (GTQ) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 7.759 (2024 est.) 7.832 (2023 est.) 7.748 (2022 est.) 7.734 (2021 est.) 7.722 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
2% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.9% (2024 est.) 6.2% (2023 est.) 6.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Public debt
31.56% of GDP (2020 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Remittances
19.1% of GDP (2024 est.) 19.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 19% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$24.412 billion (2024 est.) $21.311 billion (2023 est.) $20.415 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
11.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Railways
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
approximately 20,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Service & Defense Details
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) note: the National Civil Police (Policia Nacional Civil or PNC) are under the Ministry of Government (Interior)
180 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2025)
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)
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)
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)