Demographics of Guatemala

Guatemala's population (1950-2010)[6]

According to the 2019 revision of the World Population Prospects[7][8] the total population estimate was 17,247,849 in 2018. The proportion of the population below the age of 15 in 2010 was 41.5%, 54.1% were aged between 15 and 65 years of age, and 4.4% were aged 65 years or older.[6]

Guatemala City is home to almost 3 million inhabitants.[9] In 1900 Guatemala had a population of 885,000.[10] Over the twentifirst century Guatemala's population grew by a factor of fourteen. Even though Guatemala's population grew by a factor of 14, it still wasn't the biggest jump in that region.[11] Although Guatemala does have an increase in population, the annual population isn't the superior in that region of the world as well.[11]

Emigration

The Guatemalan civil war from 1960 to 1996 led to mass emigration, particularly Guatemalan immigration to the United States. According to the International Organization for Migration, the total number of emigrants increased from 6,700 in the 1960s to 558,776 for the period 1995-2000; by 2005, the total number had reached 1.3 million.[14] In 2013, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimated that there were about 900,000 Guatemalan Americans (persons of Guatemalan origin in the United States).[15]

Country	Count
United States	480,665[16] – 1,489,426[17]
Mexico	23,529[17]
Belize	14,693[17]
Canada	14,256[17] – 34,665[18]
Germany	5,989[17]
Honduras	5,172[17]
El Salvador	4,209[17]
Spain	2,491[17]

Indigenous girls in Chichicastenango

Official 2018 statistics indicate that approximately 56% of the population is "non-Indigenous",[1] referring to the Mestizo population (50-52%) and the people of European origin (4-6%), Most are of Spanish, German and Italian descent. These people are called Ladino in Guatemala.

Approximately 43.4% of the population is Indigenous[2] and consist of 23 Maya groups and one non-Maya group. In 2012 these are divided as follows: K'iche 9.1%, 8.4% Kaqchikel, Mam 7.9%, 6.3% Q'eqchi', other Maya peoples 8.6%, 0.2% Indigenous non-Maya).[3] They live all over the country, especially in the highlands.

In 2002 Census, The Amerindian populations in Guatemala include the K'iche' 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9% and Q'eqchi 6.3%. 8.6% belongs to other Maya groups, 0.4% belong to non-Maya Indigenous peoples. The whole Indigenous community in Guatemala is about 40.5% of the population.

The Maya Civilization ruled Guatemala and the surrounding regions until around 1,000 A.D. Following 1,000 A.D., Guatemala became a Spanish colony for approximately three centuries, until in 1821 when Guatemala won its independence. Since the independence of Guatemala, the country has experienced a wide range of governments, including civilian and military governments. In 1996, a peace treaty was signed by the government that ended internal conflicts within the region, which caused over 200,000 casualties and approximately one million refugees.[19]

Historically, the ethnicity population in the Kingdom of Guatemala at the time of Independence amounted to nearly 600,000 Indians, 300,000 Castas (mostly Mestizos and a lesser number of Mulattos, Zambos, and Pardos), and 45,000 Criollos or Spaniards, with a very small number of English traders.[20]

Other racial groups include numbers of Afro-Guatemalans, Afro-Mestizos, and Garifuna of mixed African and Indigenous Caribbean origins who live in the country's eastern end. Some Garifunas live mainly in Livingston, San Vicente and Puerto Barrios. They descend mainly from the Arawaks and Belizean Creoles.[3]

There are thousands of Arab Guatemalans descending from; Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and other Arab countries who reside in Guatemala City. Some belong to Christian Churches while others to Islamic Mosques.

There are also thousands of Jews residing in Guatemala. They are immigrants from Germany and Eastern Europe that arrived in the 19th century. Many immigrated during World War II. There are approximately 9,000 Jews living in Guatemala today. Most live in Guatemala City, Quezaltenango and San Marcos. Today, the Jewish community in Guatemala is made up of Orthodox Jews, Sephardi, Eastern European and German Jews.

In 2014, numerous members of the Hassidic communities Lev Tahor and Toiras Jesed began settling in the village of San Juan La Laguna. The mainstream Jewish community was reportedly dismayed and concerned that the arrival of communities with a more visible adherence to Judaism might stir up anti-Jewish sentiment. Despite the tropical heat, the members of the community continued to wear the traditional ancient Jewish clothing.[21][22]

Asian Guatemalans are primarily of Korean descent[23] and Chinese descent, whose ancestors were farm workers and railroad laborers in the early 20th century.

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2019.[32]

• One birth every 1 minutes
• One death every 6 minutes
• One net migrant every 58 minutes
• Net gain of one person every 2 minutes

Demographic statistics according to the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.[33]

Population

16,581,273 (July 2018 est.)

Ethnic groups

mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 60.1%, Maya 39.3% (K'iche 11.3%, Q'eqchi 7.6%, Kaqchikel 7.4%, Mam 5.5%, other 7.5%), non-Maya, non-mestizo 0.15% (Xinca (indigenous, non-Maya), Garifuna (mixed West and Central African, Island Carib, and Arawak)), other 0.5% (2001 est.)

Age structure

Population pyramid of Guatemala in 2017

0-14 years: 34.55% (male 2,919,281 /female 2,810,329)

15-24 years: 20.23% (male 1,688,900 /female 1,665,631)

25-54 years: 35.47% (male 2,878,075 /female 3,002,920)

55-64 years: 5.28% (male 407,592 /female 468,335)

65 years and over: 4.46% (male 336,377 /female 403,833) (2018 est.)

Median age

total: 22.5 years. Country comparison to the world: 179th

male: 22 years

female: 23.1 years (2018 est.)

Birth rate

24.6 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 50th

Death rate

5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 194th

Total fertility rate

2.87 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 58th

Net migration rate

-2.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 168th

Population growth rate

1.72% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 59th

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.2 years (2014/15 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Contraceptive prevalence rate

60.6% (2014/15)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 68.7 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 61.1 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 7.6 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio: 13.1 (2015 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.8 years

male: 69.8 years

female: 73.9 years (2018 est.)

Languages

Spanish (official) 68.9%, Maya languages 30.9% (K'iche 8.7%, Q'eqchi 7%, Mam 4.6%, Kaqchikel 4.3%, other 6.3%), other 0.3% (includes Xinca and Garifuna) (2001 est.)

note: the 2003 Law of National Languages officially recognized 23 indigenous languages, including 21 Maya languages, Xinka, and Garifuna

Urbanization

urban population: 51.1% of total population (2018)

rate of urbanization: 2.68% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Education expenditures

2.8% of GDP (2017) Country comparison to the world: 149th

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

total population: 81.5%

male: 87.4%

female: 76.3% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years

male: 11 years

female: 11 years (2014)

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24

total: 6.1%. Country comparison to the world: 151st

male: 4.6%

female: 9.1% (2016 est.)

The official language of Guatemala is Spanish. It is spoken by nearly 93% of the population and is found mainly in the departments of the Southern region, Eastern region, Guatemala City and Peten.[34] Though the official language is Spanish, it is often the second language among the Indigenous population.

Approximately 23 additional Amerindian languages are spoken by more than 40% of the population.[35] 21 Mayan languages, one indigenous, and one Arawakan are spoken in Guatemala.[36] The most significant are; Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna and Xinca.[35]

There are also significant numbers of German, Chinese, French and English speakers.

[36]

Catholicism was the official religion during the colonial era, and today is the most professed Church in the population, but since the 1960s, with the Armed Conflict, Protestantism has increased progressively, today more than one-third of Guatemalans are Protestant, specially Evangelicals (with Pentecostals as the biggest branch).[37] Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy claim rapid growth, especially among the Indigenous Maya. Other Churches include the Mormon Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other Christian minorities.

Although most of Catholicism and some part of Protestants practice Indigenous Beliefs combined with Christianity,[37] Maya religion believers only account for less than 0.5% of population, but since mid-'90s the Constitution recognizes the rights of Maya Religion. The Islamic community in Guatemala is growing, with approximately 2,000 believers. There is a mosque in Guatemala City called the Islamic Da'wah Mosque of Guatemala (Spanish: Mezquita de Aldawaa Islámica). The president of the Islamic Community of the country is Jamal Mubarak.

Historically, the population has been nearly all Roman Catholic, because of gradual changes in State during the half of the 20th century, Protestantism began to grow quickly, in the 1970s and doubled their percentage, while Catholics were reduced considerably until the early 1980s. During the period 1980–1993 Guatemala accounted for 3 Protestant-evangelical presidents, but neither is remembered for making a positive administration. After the intense war during 1980s, in public surveys there was a growth of non-religious people, among Evangelicals, some analysts consider that Protestant growth in recent times is actually superficial, although they continue to relatively rise in percent, during last decades, part of Protestants are returning to Catholic Church, also less committed Christians (both Catholic and Protestants) became non-religious, but few years after much of them could be re-evangelized by either Church denomination. In recent years, Christianity still so influential in society, even in mundane areas people include religious aspects in social interation, more than 60% of Catholics and nearly 80% of Protestants are actives members,[37] today Catholicism and Protestantism are more unity to obtain the Politic control, this cannot undermine the growth of homosexual-marriage acceptance, but together are working intensely to teach their beliefs about society, and two-thirds (approx.) of Guatemalans are under of Christian-conservative influence. Possibly, the acceptance of Homosexuality and Human rights (specially for Womans) makes that a new group that left religion keep stable the "unaffiliated percent", because most of non-religious people in some decades ago, today is no longer. A lot of Catholics are still becoming Protestant, but today Catholic Church in the country retains more strongly their faithful. Other Christian denominations (neither Catholic and Protestant) are estimated at around 2% of population.

Religious evolution in Guatemala[37]
Year	% Catholic	% Protestant	% Others	% No religion
1940	96.6%	2.4%	0.6%	0.4%
1975	85.8%	12.7%	0.3%	1.2%
1982	75.1%	20.2%	0.7%	4.0%
1986	63.5%	26.8%	1.5%	8.2%
1990	62.1%	24.2%	2.1%	11.6%
1996	61.2%	26.2%	2.5%	10.1%
2001	55.7%	29.3%	2.3%	12.7%
2006	56.8%	31.1%	2.8%	9.3%
2011	51.7%	34.1%	3.0%	11.2%
2017	48.1%	35.2%	2.6%	14.1%