Page last updated on June 22, 2014

Nationality:
noun: Guatemalan(s)
adjective: Guatemalan

Ethnic groups:
Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census)

Languages:
Spanish (official) 60%, Amerindian languages 40%
note: there are 23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca

Religions:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs

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 than 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.

Population:
14,647,083 (July 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.2% (male 2,698,238/female 2,597,026)
15-24 years: 22.1% (male 1,625,139/female 1,615,543)
25-54 years: 32.4% (male 2,251,665/female 2,487,332)
55-64 years: 5.2% (male 362,686/female 393,273)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 286,041/female 330,140) (2014 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 80.7 %
youth dependency ratio: 72.4 %
elderly dependency ratio: 8.3 %
potential support ratio: 12 (2014 est.)

Median age:
total: 21 years
male: 20.4 years
female: 21.7 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.86% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
25.46 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
-2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 49.8% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 3.43% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas - population:
GUATEMALA CITY (capital) 1.168 million (2011)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth:
20.3
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008-09 est.)
[see also: Mother's mean age at first birth country ranks ]

Maternal mortality rate:
120 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 64
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.51 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 77
male: 25.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.74 years
country comparison to the world: 143
male: 69.82 years
female: 73.76 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.99 children born/woman (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Contraceptive prevalence rate:
43.3% (2002)
[see also: Contraceptive prevalence rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
6.7% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 92
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

Physicians density:
0.93 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Hospital bed density:
0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 99.1% of population
rural: 88.6% of population
total: 93.8% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0.9% of population
rural: 11.4% of population
total: 6.2% of population (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 88.4% of population
rural: 72.1% of population
total: 80.3% of population
unimproved:
urban: 11.6% of population
rural: 27.9% of population
total: 19.7% of population (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
[see also: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
57,800 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
[see also: HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,400 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
[see also: HIV/AIDS - deaths country ranks ]

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria (2013)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
19.2% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 100
[see also: Obesity - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
13% (2009)
country comparison to the world: 57
[see also: Children under the age of 5 years underweight country ranks ]

Education expenditures:
3% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 139
[see also: Education expenditures - percent of GDP country ranks ]

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 75.9%
male: 81.2%
female: 71.1% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 10 years (2007)

Child labor - children ages 5-14:
total number: 929,852
percentage: 21 %
note: data represents children ages 5-17 (2006 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 7.5%
country comparison to the world: 126
male: 4.5%
female: 13.6% (2011)