Country explorer: Guatemala

In the past two decades, Guatemala has experienced stable yet modest economic growth, mirrored by its consistent but unremarkable improvement in GDP per capita and low inflation rates, compared to its Central American neighbors and upper-middle-income countries; meanwhile, its unemployment rates have remained low, reflecting an economy that shares common patterns of gradual advancement with its regional peers without significant volatility or outstanding spikes in inflation.

Guatemala has experienced notable demographic shifts, including a substantial population growth from 11.7 million in 2000 to over 17.6 million in 2022, a decrease in fertility rates from 4.6 to 2.4 children per woman, and improvements in life expectancy from approximately 67.4 to 69.2 years, reflecting broader development trends and challenges similar to those in other Central American countries.

Guatemala has seen modest improvements in access to clean cooking fuels and a significant increase in access to electricity, but it still lags behind its regional peers and upper-middle-income countries in meeting the basic needs for clean cooking, electricity, and safely managed drinking water.

Guatemala has demonstrated gradual progress in human development, as evidenced by improvements in the Human Development Index, reductions in child mortality, increases in literacy rates, and enhancements in learning-adjusted years of schooling, albeit at a pace that suggests considerable room for growth compared to its peers in the region.

Guatemala has experienced significant deforestation, witnessed a gradual evolution in its energy mix towards more renewable sources, while grappling with challenges in managing its abundant renewable freshwater resources, showcasing a complex interplay between environmental preservation and economic development.

Guatemala has seen a steady rise in internet usage and mobile phone subscriptions, reflecting a growing digital engagement among its population, although its research and development spending and scientific publications per million people lag behind upper-middle-income countries, indicating room for growth in innovation and research.

Guatemala has experienced a significant societal transformation marked by a steady decrease in gender inequality, an increasingly youthful and dependent population structure, and marginally improving life satisfaction, amidst a backdrop of low foreign-born population rates, distinguishing it from many of its regional neighbors and upper-middle-income countries.

Guatemala has faced challenges in governance, showing a complex picture of gradual improvements in rule of law and political civil liberties but persistent struggles with corruption perception and press freedom, mirroring broader regional struggles yet with unique nuances of its own societal and political context.