Guatemala

presidential republic

name: Guatemala City geographic coordinates: 14 37 N, 90 31 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala"

chief of state: President Bernardo AR VALO de Le n (since 15 January 2024) head of government: President Bernardo AR VALO de Le n (since 15 January 2024) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (not eligible for consecutive terms) most recent election date: 25 June 2023, with a runoff on 20 August 2023 election results: 2023: Bernardo AR VALO de Le n elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Sandra TORRES (UNE) 21%; Bernardo AR VALO de Le n (SEMILLA) 15.6%, Manuel CONDE Orellana (VAMOS) 10.4%; Armando CASTILLO Alvarado (VIVA) 9.6%, other 43.4%; percent of vote in second round - Bernardo AR VALO de Le n 60.9%, Sandra TORRES 39.1% 2019: Alejandro GIAMMATTEI elected president; percent of vote in first round - Sandra TORRES (UNE) 25.5%, Alejandro GIAMMATTEI (VAMOS) 14%, Edmond MULET (PHG) 11.2%, Thelma CABRERA (MLP) 10.4%, Roberto ARZU (PAN-PODEMOS) 6.1%, other 32.8%; percent of vote in second round - Alejandro GIAMMATTEI 58%, Sandra TORRES 42% expected date of next election: June 2027 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

legislature name: Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la República) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 160 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 6/25/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Let’s Go for a Different Guatemala (Vamos) (39); National Unity of Hope Party (UNE) (28); Seed Movement (Semilla) (23); Cabal (18); Vision with Values (VIVA) (11); Other (41) percentage of women in chamber: 20% expected date of next election: June 2027

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates, including the court president and organized into 3 chambers) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court magistrates elected by the Congress of the Republic from candidates proposed by the Postulation Committee, an independent body of deans of the country's university law schools, representatives of the country's law associations, and representatives of the Courts of Appeal; magistrates elected for concurrent, renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges - 1 elected by the Congress of the Republic, 1 by the Supreme Court, 1 by the president of the republic, 1 by the (public) University of San Carlos, and 1 by the Assembly of the College of Attorneys and Notaries; judges elected for renewable, consecutive 5-year terms; the presidency of the court rotates among the magistrates for a single 1-year term subordinate courts: Appellate Courts of Accounts, Contentious Administrative Tribunal, courts of appeal, first instance courts, child and adolescence courts, minor or peace courts note 1: the Supreme Court of Justice president also supervises trial judges countrywide note 2: the Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitucionalidad of Guatemala resides outside the country's judicial system; its sole purpose is the interpretation of the constitution and to see that the laws and regulations are not superior to the constitution (consists of 5 titular magistrates and 5 substitute magistrates)

history: several previous; latest adopted 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended and reinstated in 1994 amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic, by agreement of 10 or more deputies of Congress, by the Constitutional Court, or by public petition of at least 5,000 citizens; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Congress membership and approval by public referendum, referred to as "popular consultation"; constitutional articles such as national sovereignty, the republican form of government, limitations on those seeking the presidency, or presidential tenure cannot be amended

ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

0.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Army of Guatemala (Ejercito de Guatemala; aka Armed Forces of Guatemala or Fuerzas Armadas de Guatemala): Land Forces (Fuerzas de Tierra), Naval Forces (Fuerzas de Mar), and Air Force (Fuerza de Aire) (2025) note: the National Civil Police (Policia Nacional Civil or PNC) are under the Ministry of Government (Interior)

18-28 for voluntary service for men and women (17-21 for military schools); all Guatemalan men 18-49 are subject to selective compulsory service; service obligation is 12-24 months (2025)

the military is responsible for maintaining the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the honor of Guatemala, but has long focused on internal security; since the 2000s, the Guatemalan Government has used the military to support the National Civil Police in internal security operations (as permitted by the constitution) to combat organized crime, gang violence, and narco-trafficking; other responsibilities include border security, cybersecurity, and providing humanitarian assistance; it also participates in UN missions on a small scale and has a peacekeeping operations training command that offers training to regional countries; the military has security ties with regional partners such as Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, and Honduras; cooperation with El Salvador and Honduras has included a combined police-military anti-gang task force to patrol border areas; it also has ties with the US, including joint training exercises and material assistance the military held power during most of Guatemala s 36-year civil war (1960-1996) and conducted a campaign of widespread violence and repression, particularly against the country s majority indigenous population; more than 200,000 people were estimated to have been killed or disappeared during the conflict (2025)

180 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2025)

$232.673 billion (2024 est.) $224.475 billion (2023 est.) $216.815 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$12,600 (2024 est.) $12,400 (2023 est.) $12,100 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.7% (2024 est.) 3.5% (2023 est.) 4.2% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

2.9% (2024 est.) 6.2% (2023 est.) 6.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

31.56% of GDP (2020 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$17.997 billion (2024 est.) $17.342 billion (2023 est.) $18.141 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$35.576 billion (2024 est.) $33.056 billion (2023 est.) $33.943 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

2.3% (2024 est.) 2.4% (2023 est.) 3.1% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $16.603 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $17.349 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

sugarcane, bananas, oil palm fruit, maize, cantaloupes/melons, potatoes, milk, tomatoes, chicken, pineapples (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 18,255,216 (2024 est.) male: 9,050,684 female: 9,204,532

0.99% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 31.5% (male 2,925,079/female 2,819,927) 15-64 years: 63.2% (male 5,688,500/female 5,839,958) 65 years and over: 5.4% (2024 est.) (male 437,105/female 544,647)

17.12 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.99 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 73.5 years (2024 est.) male: 71.5 years female: 75.6 years

urban population: 53.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Mestizo (mixed Indigenous-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) 56%, Maya 41.7%, Xinca (Indigenous, non-Maya) 1.8%, African descent 0.2%, Garifuna (mixed West and Central African, Island Carib, and Arawak) 0.1%, foreign 0.2% (2018 est.)

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.) major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de informaci n b sica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: the 2003 Law of National Languages officially recognized 23 indigenous languages, including 21 Maya languages, Xinca, and Garifuna

Evangelical 45.7%, Roman Catholic 42.4%, none 11%, unspecified 0.9% (2023 est.)

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

petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower

La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 4,676 (2024 est.) IDPs: 572,813 (2024 est.)

58 (2025)

total: 800 km (2018) narrow gauge: 800 km (2018) 0.914-m gauge note: despite the existence of a railway network, all rail service was suspended in 2007 and no passenger or freight train currently runs in the country (2018)

total: 9 (2023) by type: oil tanker 1, other 8

total subscriptions: 20.6 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 56% (2023 est.)