Guatemala — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Guatemala: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Guatemala is in Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize. It covers 108,889 sq km. Terrain: two east-west trending mountain chains divide the country into three regions: the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of mountains, and the vast northern Peten lowlands. Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands.
| Capital | Guatemala City |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,255,216 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $232.673 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $12,600 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 3.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.9% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 2.3% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 31.56% of GDP (2020 est.) |
| Exports | $17.997 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $35.576 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 73.5 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 26.7 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 53.1% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
| Languages | Spanish (official) 69.9%, Maya languages 29.7% (Q'eqchi' 8.3%, K'iche 7.8%, Mam 4.4%, Kaqchikel 3%, Q'anjob'al 1.2%, Poqomchi' 1%, other 4%), other 0.4% (includes Xinca and Garifuna) (2018 est.) |
Guatemala’s GDP is $232.673 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $113.2 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 3.7% (2024 est.). See where Guatemala ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Nothing in Jul–Sep 2026 moved the needle. The institutions functioned, the economy ran its course, and the world looked elsewhere.
That is the honest note: a quarter of normalcy, scored as such.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 2.9%; a current-account surplus of $3 billion — the world pays it more than it pays out
Oil, Nickel, Hydropower.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 99.1% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 25.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 1.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 42% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); geothermal: 2.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 17.096 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 90.8 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 13.5 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 5,010 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Hydro 42.0%, Coal 17.6%, Oil 7.9%, Wind 2.5%, Solar 1.8% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 74.5% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 272.7 gCO2/kWh (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $17.997 billion (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $35.576 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $17.6 billion (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Bernardo Arévalo — President. President Bernardo ARÉVALO de León (since 15 January 2024)
Guatemala maintains 40 embassies and 40 consulates abroad, hosts 36 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, OAS Washington. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 40 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 40 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 36 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, OAS Washington |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, diplomatic & consular networks database, Mar 2026 report (of-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18917562 ; Jan 2026 report (in-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 400 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 58 + 2 heliports (registration prefix TG) |
| Major seaports | Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla |
| Railways | 800 km |
Major airports
La Aurora International Airport (GUA) — Guatemala City; Mundo Maya International Airport (FRS) — San Benito; Puerto Barrios Airport (PBR) — Puerto Barrios; Retalhuleu Airport (RER) — Retalhuleu.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Guatemala.
Historical timeline of Guatemala
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Guatemala — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Guatemala's power score?
Guatemala has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.