Guatemala

The main languages spoken in Guatemala are:
Spanish - the official language, spoken by ~69.9% of the population.
Maya languages - spoken by ~29.7% of the population, including Q'eqchi' (~8.3%), K'iche (~7.8%), Mam (~4.4%), Kaqchikel (~3%), and Q'anjob'al (~1.2%).
Xinca and Garifuna are also spoken by smaller communities; the 2003 Law of National Languages officially recognizes 23 indigenous languages, including 21 Maya languages, Xinca, and Garifuna.
Spanish is the official language of Guatemala, alongside 23 officially recognized indigenous languages.

Geography

Location: Central America, bordering both the North Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, between El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 108,889 sq km

Land boundaries:
border countries: Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico

Natural hazards: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent violent earthquakes; Guatemala lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire

Geography - note: despite having both eastern and western coastlines, there are no natural harbors on the west coast

People

Population: 18,255,216-19,357,426 (2023-2025 est.); most populous country in Central America; highest fertility and population growth rates in Latin America; almost half the population is under age 19

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.5-32.74%
15-64 years: 61.95-63.2%
65 years and over: 5.31-5.4%

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.91 years
male: 70.88 years
female: 75.04 years

Infant mortality rate: 26.18 deaths/1,000 live births

Nationality:
noun/adjective: Guatemalan(s)

Ethnic groups: Mestizo/Ladino 56%, Maya 41.7%, Xinca 1.8%, other 0.5% (2018 est.)

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

Languages: Spanish (official) 69.9%, Maya languages 29.7%, other 0.4% (2018 est.)

Literacy: total population 82.1% (male 86.9%, female 78.5%) (2024 est.)

Population distribution: the vast majority resides in the southern half of the country, particularly the mountainous regions; more than half the population lives in rural areas

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
conventional short form: Guatemala

Data code: GT

Government type: presidential republic

National capital: Guatemala City

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain); 17 April 1839 (from the Federal Republic of Central America)

Economy

Economy - overview: upper-middle-income, developing economy; a predominantly poor country struggling with infant/child/maternal mortality, malnutrition, and literacy, disproportionately affecting the large indigenous population; heavily dependent on remittances (about 19% of GDP), largely from the US

GDP (purchasing power parity): $278.508-303.02 billion (2025-2026 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.9% (2026)

GDP - per capita: $15,386-16,021 PPP (2025-2026 est.)

Inflation rate: 4.2% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2.6% (2025 est.)

Population below poverty line: 56% (2023)

Currency: Guatemalan quetzal (GTQ)

Military

Military branches: Army of Guatemala (Ejercito de Guatemala): Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force (2025)

Transnational Issues

Illicit drugs: major transit country for cocaine and heroin destined for the US market; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drug trafficking; money laundering and corruption remain serious problems