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Guatemala

Rank #70 by populationNorth America

Officially Republic of Guatemala

Population 2025
18,687,881
0.23% of world population
World Bank, 2025
Annual Growth
+1.52%
+283,682 people a year
World Bank, 2025
Density
169/km²
107,160 km² land area
World Bank, 2023
Median Age
23.4 years
Life expectancy 72.7 years
Our World in Data, 2025

About Guatemala

With approximately 18.7 million people, Guatemala ranks 70th globally and supports a population density of 169 per km². The country spans 107,160 km² across North America, bordered by Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. A median age of 23.4 years indicates a young population, while the fertility rate of 2.3 births per woman and annual growth of 1.5% reflect continued demographic expansion.

Life expectancy stands at 72.7 years, and 56% of the population lives in urban areas. The capital, Guatemala City, serves as the country's primary urban center. Governed as a presidential republic since independence in 1821, Guatemala operates under a Spanish-language framework and uses the Guatemalan quetzal as its currency. GDP per capita reached $6,598 in 2025.

This summary is AI-generated from the indicators on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Country Facts

Capital
Guatemala City
Continent
North America
ISO codes
GT · GTM
Demonym
Guatemalan
Currency
Guatemalan quetzal (GTQ Q)
Government
Presidential system, Representative democracy
State inception
1821
Time zone
UTC−06:00
Driving side
Right
Calling code
+502
Internet TLD
.gt
Land neighbours
4

Languages

  • Spanish

Demographics

Urban Population153rd of 240
56.3%
World Bank, 2025
Fertility Rate90th of 240
2.29 births per woman
World Bank, 2024
Birth Rate70th of 213
20.6 per 1,000
World Bank, 2024
Death Rate194th of 213
4.9 per 1,000
World Bank, 2024

Economy

GDP per Capita146th of 240
$6,598
World Bank, 2025
GDP Growth72nd of 210
+4.3%
World Bank, 2025
Unemployment Rate161st of 186
2.6%
World Bank, 2025
Inflation Rate140th of 191
1.5%
World Bank, 2025
Poverty Rate12th of 164
56.0%
World Bank, 2023
Gini Index17th of 170
45.2
World Bank, 2023

Health

Infant Mortality73rd of 194
17.2 per 1,000 live births
World Bank, 2024
Health Spending90th of 192
6.8% of GDP
World Bank, 2023
Physicians117th of 206
1.28 per 1,000
World Bank, 2020
Hospital Beds185th of 199
0.45 per 1,000
World Bank, 2023
Maternal Mortality68th of 193
94 per 100,000 live births
World Bank, 2023
Obesity Rate87th of 198
26.7%
Our World in Data, 2024

Education

Literacy Rate122nd of 175
82.1%
World Bank, 2024
Education Spending150th of 202
3.1% of GDP
World Bank, 2024
School Enrollment177th of 207
49.6% gross, secondary
World Bank, 2024
Mean Years of Schooling125th of 148
6.3 years
Our World in Data, 2020

Environment

Renewable Energy35th of 211
62.1% of final consumption
World Bank, 2021
Forest Coverage101st of 211
32.6% of land area
World Bank, 2023
Protected Areas89th of 211
20.1% of land area
World Bank, 2025
CO₂ Emissions157th of 212
1.08 tonnes per capita
Our World in Data, 2024

Infrastructure

Internet Penetration149th of 211
60.2%
World Bank, 2024
Mobile Subscriptions114th of 212
112.5 per 100 people
World Bank, 2024

Quality of Life

Human Development Index136th of 192
0.662
Our World in Data, 2023
Happiness Index42nd of 164
6.53/ 10
Our World in Data, 2025

Geography

Land Area104th of 240
107,160 km²
World Bank, 2023

Military

Military Spending157th of 163
0.37% of GDP
World Bank, 2024

Age & Gender Distribution

Population by five-year age band, UN World Population Prospects 2024.

Male Female
100+95-9990-9485-8980-8475-7970-7465-6960-6455-5950-5445-4940-4435-3930-3425-2920-2415-1910-145-90-41.02M1.02MAge
Age 0–14
31.6%
Age 15–64
63.6%
Age 65+
4.8%
Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
Guatemala population pyramid
Age bandMaleFemale
100+1559
95-99317999
90-943,0456,510
85-8914,50019,866
80-8439,74148,277
75-7973,34490,034
70-74114,362136,821
65-69155,710188,988
60-64187,243235,992
55-59235,137283,308
50-54299,079341,163
45-49394,977426,896
40-44515,010533,265
35-39635,091639,100
30-34759,273757,043
25-29861,678853,433
20-24934,431917,773
15-19956,553935,128
10-14988,981962,981
5-91,016,144985,998
0-4944,562913,534

Population History & Projection (1950–2100)

Observed population to 2024, then the UN medium-variant projection.

05M10M15M20M25M1950197520002025205020752100projected →
Guatemala's population was 3.1M in 1950 and is projected at 25.9M by 2100. Peak of 27.2M in 2077. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024 (estimates to 2024, medium variant thereafter).
Guatemala population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
19503,097,198
19604,063,655
19705,396,966
19806,900,212
19909,024,773
200011,697,592
201014,500,112
202017,357,325
203020,067,253
204022,626,870
205024,670,857
206026,157,020
207026,991,954
208027,127,637
209026,695,105
210025,912,091

How Guatemala Compares

Population against the ten most populous countries.

  1. India1.46B
  2. China1.41B
  3. United States341.8M
  4. Indonesia285.7M
  5. Pakistan255.2M
  6. Nigeria237.5M
  7. Brazil212.8M
  8. Bangladesh175.7M
  9. Russia143.5M
  10. Ethiopia135.5M
  11. Guatemala18.7M
Sources as cited on each country page.
Guatemala compared with the ten largest countries by population
NamePopulation
India1.46B
China1.41B
United States341.8M
Indonesia285.7M
Pakistan255.2M
Nigeria237.5M
Brazil212.8M
Bangladesh175.7M
Russia143.5M
Ethiopia135.5M
Guatemala18.7M

Countries Bordering Guatemala

4 land borders.

Guatemala Population FAQ

What is the population of Guatemala in 2026?

Guatemala has a population of 18,687,881 people (2025 estimate), which is 70th in the world and about 0.23% of the global total.

Is the population of Guatemala growing or shrinking?

Guatemala's population is growing at +1.52% per year, a change of roughly 283,682 people annually.

What is the capital of Guatemala?

The capital of Guatemala is Guatemala City.

How densely populated is Guatemala?

Guatemala has 169/km² across 107,160 km² of land area.

What is life expectancy in Guatemala?

Life expectancy at birth in Guatemala is 72.7 years (2024).

What is the median age in Guatemala?

The median age in Guatemala is 23.4 years, meaning half the population is younger than that and half older.

Which continent is Guatemala in?

Guatemala is in North America.

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