# Demographics of Guatemala

This is a demography of the population of Guatemala including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
According to the 2018 census, 43.56% of the population is Indigenous including 41.66% Mayan, 1.77% Xinca, and 0.13% Garifuna (Mixed African and indigenous). Approximately 56% of the population is "non-Indigenous", referring to the Mestizo population (people of mixed European and indigenous descent) and the people of European origin. These people are called Ladino in Guatemala. The population is divided almost evenly between rural and urban areas.
About 65% of the population speak Spanish, with nearly all the rest speaking indigenous languages (there are 23 officially recognized indigenous languages).

## Population size and structure

According to the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects the total population estimate was 17,608,483 in 2021. 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.
Guatemala City is home to almost 3 million inhabitants. In 1900 Guatemala had a population of 1,885,000. Over the 21st 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. Although Guatemala does have an increase in population, the annual population isn't the superior in that region of the world as well.
| | Total population (x 1000) | Proportion aged 0–14 (%) | Proportion aged 15–64 (%) | Proportion aged 65+ (%) |
| 1950 | 3 146 | 44.6 | 52.9 | 2.5 |
| 1955 | 3 619 | 45.4 | 52.0 | 2.6 |
| 1960 | 4 141 | 45.8 | 51.6 | 2.7 |
| 1965 | 4 736 | 45.2 | 52.0 | 2.8 |
| 1970 | 5 416 | 44.6 | 52.5 | 2.9 |
| 1975 | 6 194 | 44.8 | 52.3 | 2.9 |
| 1980 | 7 001 | 45.4 | 51.6 | 3.0 |
| 1985 | 7 920 | 45.7 | 51.2 | 3.1 |
| 1990 | 8 890 | 45.4 | 51.3 | 3.4 |
| 1995 | 9 984 | 44.9 | 51.4 | 3.7 |
| 2000 | 11 651 | 43.7 | 52.3 | 4.0 |
| 2005 | 13 096 | 42.3 | 53.6 | 4.2 |
| 2010 | 14 630 | 39.4 | 56.3 | 4.3 |
| 2015 | 16 252 | 36.2 | 59.3 | 4.5 |
| 2020 | 17 916 | 33.3 | 61.6 | 5.0 |

### Structure of the population

| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
| Total | 6 197 399 | 6 502 381 | 12 699 780 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 1 035 549 | 1 000 763 | 2 036 312 | 16.03 |
| 5–9 | 921 924 | 901 718 | 1 823 642 | 14.36 |
| 10–14 | 815 791 | 808 328 | 1 624 119 | 12.79 |
| 15–19 | 685 359 | 694 215 | 1 379 574 | 10.86 |
| 20–24 | 571 385 | 608 879 | 1 180 264 | 9.29 |
| 25–29 | 446 309 | 506 386 | 952 695 | 7.50 |
| 30–34 | 340 378 | 412 767 | 753 145 | 5.93 |
| 35–39 | 270 907 | 329 253 | 600 160 | 4.73 |
| 40–44 | 225 243 | 267 504 | 492 747 | 3.88 |
| 45–49 | 191 635 | 218 053 | 409 688 | 3.23 |
| 50–54 | 175 311 | 191 751 | 367 062 | 2.89 |
| 55–59 | 149 593 | 161 320 | 310 913 | 2.45 |
| 60–64 | 113 686 | 119 957 | 233 643 | 1.84 |
| 65–69 | 94 128 | 98 864 | 192 992 | 1.52 |
| 70–74 | 74 463 | 81 804 | 156 267 | 1.23 |
| 75–79 | 50 340 | 57 089 | 107 429 | 0.85 |
| 80+ | 35 398 | 43 730 | 79 128 | 0.62 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 2 773 264 | 2 710 809 | 5 484 073 | 43.18 |
| 15–64 | 3 169 806 | 3 510 085 | 6 679 891 | 52.60 |
| 65+ | 254 329 | 281 487 | 535 816 | 4.22 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
| Total | 7 003 337 | 7 358 328 | 14 361 666 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 1 103 521 | 1 062 224 | 2 165 745 | 15.08 |
| 5–9 | 1 017 180 | 987 490 | 2 004 670 | 13.96 |
| 10–14 | 906 603 | 891 659 | 1 798 262 | 12.52 |
| 15–19 | 794 459 | 795 688 | 1 590 147 | 11.07 |
| 20–24 | 646 911 | 675 214 | 1 322 125 | 9.21 |
| 25–29 | 538 214 | 590 746 | 1 128 960 | 7.86 |
| 30–34 | 418 535 | 494 657 | 913 192 | 6.36 |
| 35–39 | 323 010 | 402 681 | 725 691 | 5.05 |
| 40–44 | 258 454 | 321 849 | 580 303 | 4.04 |
| 45–49 | 215 304 | 260 145 | 475 449 | 3.31 |
| 50–54 | 182 662 | 211 040 | 393 702 | 2.74 |
| 55–59 | 165 910 | 184 214 | 350 124 | 2.44 |
| 60–64 | 139 395 | 152 936 | 292 331 | 2.04 |
| 65–69 | 103 433 | 111 058 | 214 491 | 1.49 |
| 70–74 | 81 809 | 88 219 | 170 028 | 1.18 |
| 75–79 | 60 257 | 68 733 | 128 990 | 0.90 |
| 80+ | 47 678 | 59 778 | 107 456 | 0.75 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 3 027 304 | 2 941 373 | 5 968 677 | 41.56 |
| 15–64 | 3 682 856 | 4 089 167 | 7 772 023 | 54.12 |
| 65+ | 293 177 | 327 788 | 620 965 | 4.32 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
| Total | 7 903 664 | 8 272 469 | 16 176 133 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 1 153 297 | 1 109 217 | 2 262 514 | 13.99 |
| 5–9 | 1 090 294 | 1 052 014 | 2 142 308 | 13.24 |
| 10–14 | 1 008 018 | 980 523 | 1 988 541 | 12.29 |
| 15–19 | 893 687 | 882 665 | 1 776 352 | 10.98 |
| 20–24 | 771 615 | 781 835 | 1 553 450 | 9.60 |
| 25–29 | 624 841 | 661 798 | 1 286 639 | 7.95 |
| 30–34 | 517 919 | 581 120 | 1 099 039 | 6.79 |
| 35–39 | 403 769 | 485 904 | 889 673 | 5.50 |
| 40–44 | 311 703 | 395 488 | 707 191 | 4.37 |
| 45–49 | 248 840 | 314 591 | 563 431 | 3.48 |
| 50–54 | 206 306 | 253 126 | 459 432 | 2.84 |
| 55–59 | 173 501 | 203 741 | 377 242 | 2.33 |
| 60–64 | 155 222 | 175 581 | 330 803 | 2.05 |
| 65+ | 344 652 | 394 866 | 739 518 | 4.57 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
| 0–14 | 3 251 609 | 3 141 754 | 6 393 363 | 39.52 |
| 15–64 | 4 307 403 | 4 735 849 | 9 043 252 | 55.90 |
| 65+ | 344 652 | 394 866 | 739 518 | 4.57 |
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
| Total | 8 297 763 | 8 560 570 | 16 858 333 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 964 534 | 923 439 | 1 887 973 | 11.20 |
| 5–9 | 942 751 | 904 725 | 1 847 476 | 10.96 |
| 10–14 | 908 851 | 875 615 | 1 784 466 | 10.59 |
| 15–19 | 902 462 | 876 901 | 1 779 363 | 10.55 |
| 20–24 | 856 396 | 847 945 | 1 704 341 | 10.11 |
| 25–29 | 758 833 | 769 162 | 1 527 995 | 9.06 |
| 30–34 | 639 958 | 666 481 | 1 306 439 | 7.75 |
| 35–39 | 516 111 | 558 703 | 1 074 814 | 6.38 |
| 40–44 | 418 920 | 475 152 | 894 072 | 5.30 |
| 45–49 | 335 429 | 396 737 | 732 166 | 4.34 |
| 50–54 | 264 478 | 316 929 | 581 407 | 3.45 |
| 55–59 | 210 286 | 256 500 | 466 786 | 2.77 |
| 60–64 | 169 897 | 206 911 | 376 808 | 2.24 |
| 65–69 | 135 380 | 163 324 | 298 704 | 1.77 |
| 70–74 | 106 158 | 124 792 | 230 950 | 1.37 |
| 75–79 | 76 784 | 88 274 | 165 058 | 0.98 |
| 80–84 | 48 603 | 56 589 | 105 192 | 0.62 |
| 85–89 | 26 355 | 31 866 | 58 221 | 0.35 |
| 90–94 | 11 376 | 14 392 | 25 768 | 0.15 |
| 95–99 | 3 406 | 4 595 | 8 001 | 0.05 |
| 100+ | 795 | 1 538 | 2 333 | 0.01 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 2 816 136 | 2 703 779 | 5 519 915 | 32.74 |
| 15–64 | 5 072 770 | 5 371 421 | 10 444 191 | 61.95 |
| 65+ | 408 857 | 485 370 | 894 227 | 5.30 |

### Population by departments

In Guatemala, there are 22 departments that make up the country. Each department has its own population, with Guatemala Department ranking at 1 with the highest population and El Progreso Department ranking at 22 with the lowest population.
| Rank | Department | Pop. | Rank | Department | Pop. |
| 1 | Guatemala Department | 3,306,397 | 12 | Jutiapa | 489,085 |
| 2 | Huehuetenango | 1,234,593 | 13 | Izabal | 445,125 |
| 3 | Alta Verapaz | 1,219,585 | 14 | Chiquimula | 397,202 |
| 4 | San Marcos | 1,095,997 | 15 | Santa Rosa | 367,569 |
| 5 | Quiché | 955,705 | 16 | Jalapa | 345,926 |
| 6 | Quetzaltenango | 844,906 | 17 | Sacatepéquez | 336,606 |
| 7 | Escuintla | 746,309 | 18 | Retalhuleu | 325,556 |
| 8 | Petén | 711,585 | 19 | Baja Verapaz | 291,903 |
| 9 | Chimaltenango | 666,938 | 20 | Zacapa | 291,903 |
| 10 | Suchitepéquez | 555,261 | 21 | Totonicapán | 134,373 |
| 11 | Sololá | 430,573 | 22 | El Progreso | 22,654 |
| Overall Total: 15,806,675 (2014) ||||||
| Source: National Institute of Statistics (INE) ||||||
According to the table, Guatemala Department accounts for 20% of the entire population in Guatemala, while El Progreso only accounts for 0.14% of the population. Sololá accounts for 2.7% of the population while ranking in the middle at 11. Overall, the rankings correlate to the percent of the population that each department contains.

## Vital statistics
### Registered births and deaths

| | Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1,000) | Death rate (per 1,000) | Natural change (per 1,000) | Crude migration change (per 1,000) | Fertility rate |
| 1930 | 1,760,000 | 100,000 | 43,500 | 56,500 | 56.8 | 24.7 | 32.1 | |
| 1931 | 1,810,000 | 99,000 | 44,000 | 55,000 | 54.7 | 24.3 | 30.4 | -2.8 |
| 1932 | 1,860,000 | 93,600 | 43,900 | 49,700 | 50.3 | 23.6 | 26.7 | 0.2 |
| 1933 | 1,910,000 | 90,700 | 52,100 | 38,600 | 47.5 | 27.3 | 20.2 | 6.1 |
| 1934 | 1,940,000 | 92,205 | 60,051 | 32,154 | 47.5 | 31.0 | 16.6 | -1.1 |
| 1935 | 1,980,000 | 96,031 | 54,789 | 41,242 | 48.5 | 27.7 | 20.8 | -0.6 |
| 1936 | 2,020,000 | 97,646 | 50,604 | 47,042 | 48.3 | 25.1 | 23.3 | -3.6 |
| 1937 | 2,070,000 | 96,981 | 51,027 | 45,954 | 46.9 | 24.7 | 22.2 | 2.0 |
| 1938 | 2,110,000 | 98,906 | 56,131 | 42,775 | 46.9 | 26.6 | 20.3 | -1.3 |
| 1939 | 2,150,000 | 102,908 | 64,117 | 38,791 | 47.9 | 29.8 | 18.0 | 0.6 |
| 1940 | 2,200,000 | 106,998 | 55,083 | 51,915 | 48.6 | 25.0 | 23.6 | -0.9 |
| 1941 | 2,250,000 | 103,688 | 56,444 | 47,244 | 46.1 | 25.1 | 21.0 | 1.3 |
| 1942 | 2,300,000 | 107,519 | 72,477 | 35,042 | 46.7 | 31.5 | 15.2 | 6.6 |
| 1943 | 2,340,000 | 112,407 | 72,837 | 39,570 | 48.0 | 31.1 | 16.9 | 0.2 |
| 1944 | 2,390,000 | 111,324 | 63,068 | 48,256 | 46.6 | 26.4 | 20.2 | 0.7 |
| 1945 | 2,440,000 | 118,912 | 59,732 | 59,180 | 48.7 | 24.5 | 24.3 | -3.8 |
| 1946 | 2,500,000 | 120,525 | 61,641 | 58,884 | 48.2 | 24.7 | 23.6 | 0.5 |
| 1947 | 2,570,000 | 134,066 | 63,316 | 70,750 | 52.2 | 24.6 | 27.5 | -0.3 |
| 1948 | 2,641,000 | 137,009 | 62,090 | 74,919 | 51.9 | 23.5 | 28.4 | -1.5 |
| 1949 | 2,724,000 | 140,596 | 59,277 | 81,319 | 51.6 | 21.8 | 29.9 | 0.6 |
| 1950 | 3,146,000 | 142,673 | 61,234 | 81,439 | 48.1 | 20.6 | 27.4 | |
| 1951 | 3,238,000 | 151,416 | 56,550 | 94,866 | 49.6 | 18.5 | 31.1 | -0.9 |
| 1952 | 3,331,000 | 151,865 | 71,994 | 79,871 | 48.3 | 22.9 | 25.4 | 4.1 |
| 1953 | 3,426,000 | 156,377 | 70,794 | 85,583 | 48.3 | 21.9 | 26.4 | 2.8 |
| 1954 | 3,521,000 | 162,773 | 58,132 | 104,641 | 48.9 | 17.4 | 31.4 | -2.8 |
| 1955 | 3,619,000 | 158,856 | 67,088 | 91,768 | 46.3 | 19.6 | 26.7 | 1.8 |
| 1956 | 3,719,000 | 163,301 | 66,280 | 97,021 | 46.2 | 18.8 | 27.5 | 0.8 |
| 1957 | 3,820,000 | 170,381 | 70,933 | 99,448 | 46.9 | 19.5 | 27.4 | 0.4 |
| 1958 | 3,924,000 | 172,745 | 75,634 | 97,111 | 46.2 | 20.2 | 26.0 | 1.8 |
| 1959 | 4,031,000 | 181,740 | 63,010 | 118,730 | 47.2 | 16.4 | 30.8 | |
| 1960 | 4,141,000 | 186,476 | 65,805 | 120,671 | 47.1 | 16.6 | 30.4 | -2.6 |
| 1961 | 4,253,000 | 193,833 | 63,287 | 130,546 | 47.5 | 15.5 | 32.0 | -4.5 |
| 1962 | 4,369,000 | 191,420 | 69,287 | 122,133 | 45.6 | 16.5 | 29.1 | -1.4 |
| 1963 | 4,488,000 | 197,671 | 71,449 | 126,222 | 45.8 | 16.6 | 29.2 | -1.7 |
| 1964 | 4,610,000 | 196,386 | 68,278 | 128,108 | 44.2 | 15.4 | 28.9 | -1.4 |
| 1965 | 4,736,000 | 201,059 | 74,830 | 126,229 | 44.0 | 16.4 | 27.6 | 0 |
| 1966 | 4,864,000 | 206,520 | 75,774 | 130,746 | 44.0 | 16.1 | 27.8 | -0.6 |
| 1967 | 4,996,000 | 201,816 | 71,191 | 130,625 | 41.8 | 14.8 | 27.1 | 0.3 |
| 1968 | 5,132,000 | 211,679 | 79,421 | 132,258 | 42.7 | 16.0 | 26.7 | 0.7 |
| 1969 | 5,271,000 | 215,397 | 85,174 | 130,223 | 42.2 | 16.7 | 25.5 | 1.7 |
| 1970 | 5,416,000 | 212,151 | 77,333 | 134,818 | 40.5 | 14.7 | 25.7 | 1.9 |
| 1971 | 5,565,000 | 229,674 | 75,223 | 154,451 | 42.6 | 14.0 | 28.6 | -1.0 |
| 1972 | 5,719,000 | 241,593 | 67,989 | 173,604 | 43.6 | 12.3 | 31.3 | -3.5 |
| 1973 | 5,877,000 | 238,498 | 69,454 | 169,044 | 41.8 | 12.2 | 29.6 | -1.9 |
| 1974 | 6,036,000 | 252,203 | 69,820 | 182,383 | 43.0 | 11.9 | 31.1 | -4.0 |
| 1975 | 6,194,000 | 249,332 | 78,708 | 170,624 | 41.4 | 13.1 | 28.4 | -2.1 |
| 1976 | 6,352,000 | 266,728 | 81,627 | 185,101 | 43.2 | 13.2 | 30.0 | -4.4 |
| 1977 | 6,510,000 | 284,747 | 71,777 | 212,970 | 45.0 | 11.3 | 33.6 | |
| 1978 | 6,669,000 | 286,415 | 66,844 | 219,571 | 44.1 | 10.3 | 33.8 | -9.3 |
| 1979 | 6,832,000 | 295,972 | 72,274 | 223,698 | 44.5 | 10.9 | 33.6 | -9.1 |
| 1980 | 7,001,000 | 303,643 | 71,352 | 232,291 | 44.5 | 10.5 | 34.1 | -9.3 |
| 1981 | 7,177,000 | 308,413 | 75,658 | 232,755 | 44.1 | 10.8 | 33.3 | -8.1 |
| 1982 | 7,358,000 | 312,047 | 76,267 | 235,780 | 43.5 | 10.6 | 32.9 | |
| 1983 | 7,543,000 | 306,827 | 74,462 | 232,365 | 41.7 | 10.1 | 31.6 | -6.4 |
| 1984 | 7,731,000 | 312,094 | 75,462 | 236,632 | 41.3 | 10.0 | 31.4 | -6.4 |
| 1985 | 7,920,000 | 326,849 | 69,455 | 257,394 | 42.2 | 9.0 | 33.3 | -8.8 |
| 1986 | 8,109,000 | 318,340 | 66,328 | 252,012 | 40.1 | 8.4 | 31.8 | -8.0 |
| 1987 | 8,299,000 | 319,942 | 66,404 | 253,538 | 39.4 | 8.2 | 31.2 | -7.8 |
| 1988 | 8,492,000 | 337,396 | 64,100 | 273,296 | 40.5 | 7.7 | 32.8 | -9.7 |
| 1989 | 8,688,000 | 340,807 | 61,548 | 279,259 | 39.9 | 7.2 | 32.7 | -9.8 |
| 1990 | 8,890,000 | 347,207 | 73,344 | 273,863 | 39.7 | 8.4 | 31.3 | -8.3 |
| 1991 | 9,099,000 | 359,904 | 72,896 | 287,008 | 39.6 | 8.0 | 31.5 | -8.8 |
| 1992 | 9,313,000 | 363,648 | 73,124 | 290,524 | 39.0 | 7.9 | 31.2 | -8.4 |
| 1993 | 9,533,000 | 370,138 | 73,870 | 296,268 | 38.8 | 7.7 | 31.1 | -8.2 |
| 1994 | 9,756,000 | 381,497 | 74,761 | 306,736 | 39.1 | 7.7 | 31.4 | -8.8 |
| 1995 | 9,984,000 | 371,091 | 65,159 | 305,932 | 37.2 | 6.5 | 30.6 | -8.0 |
| 1996 | 10,215,000 | 377,723 | 60,618 | 317,105 | 37.0 | 5.9 | 31.0 | -8.6 |
| 1997 | 10,450,000 | 387,862 | 67,691 | 320,171 | 37.1 | 6.5 | 30.6 | -8.3 |
| 1998 | 10,691,000 | 400,133 | 69,847 | 330,286 | 37.4 | 6.5 | 30.9 | -8.5 |
| 1999 | 10,942,000 | 409,034 | 65,139 | 343,895 | 37.4 | 6.0 | 31.4 | -8.7 |
| 2000 | 11,204,000 | 425,410 | 67,284 | 358,126 | 38.0 | 6.0 | 32.0 | -8.8 |
| 2001 | 11,479,000 | 415,338 | 68,041 | 347,297 | 36.2 | 5.9 | 30.3 | -6.5 |
| 2002 | 11,766,000 | 387,287 | 66,089 | 321,198 | 32.9 | 5.6 | 27.3 | -3.0 |
| 2003 | 12,063,000 | 375,092 | 66,695 | 308,397 | 31.1 | 5.5 | 25.6 | -1.0 |
| 2004 | 12,368,000 | 383,704 | 66,991 | 316,713 | 31.0 | 5.4 | 25.6 | -1.0 |
| 2005 | 12,679,000 | 374,066 | 71,039 | 303,027 | 29.5 | 5.6 | 23.9 | 0.6 | 3.80 |
| 2006 | 12,995,000 | 368,399 | 69,756 | 298,643 | 28.3 | 5.4 | 22.9 | 1.4 | 3.62 |
| 2007 | 13,318,000 | 366,128 | 70,030 | 296,098 | 27.4 | 5.2 | 22.2 | 2.1 | 3.46 |
| 2008 | 13,678,000 | 369,769 | 70,233 | 299,536 | 27.0 | 5.1 | 21.9 | 4.5 | 3.39 |
| 2009 | 14,000,190 | 351,628 | 71,707 | 279,921 | 25.1 | 5.1 | 20.0 | 3.1 | 3.12 |
| 2010 | 14,259,687 | 361,906 | 72,748 | 289,158 | 25.4 | 5.1 | 20.3 | -2.1 | 3.09 |
| 2011 | 14,521,515 | 373,692 | 72,354 | 301,338 | 25.7 | 5.0 | 20.7 | -2.8 | 3.09 |
| 2012 | 14,781,942 | 388,613 | 72,657 | 315,956 | 26.3 | 4.8 | 21.5 | -3.8 | 3.10 |
| 2013 | 15,043,981 | 387,342 | 76,639 | 310,703 | 25.7 | 5.1 | 20.6 | -3.3 | 3.05 |
| 2014 | 15,306,316 | 386,195 | 77,807 | 308,388 | 25.2 | 5.1 | 20.1 | -3.1 | 3.05 |
| 2015 | 15,567,419 | 391,425 | 80,876 | 310,549 | 25.1 | 5.2 | 19.9 | -3.2 | 2.90 |
| 2016 | 15,827,690 | 390,382 | 82,585 | 307,797 | 24.7 | 5.2 | 19.5 | -3.1 | 2.80 |
| 2017 | 16,087,418 | 381,664 | 81,726 | 299,938 | 23.7 | 5.1 | 18.6 | -2.5 | 2.66 |
| 2018 | 16,346,950 (C) | 383,263 | 83,071 | 300,192 | 23.4 | 5.1 | 18.3 | -2.5 | 2.62 |
| 2019 | 16,604,026 | 366,855 | 85,600 | 281,255 | 22.1 | 5.2 | 16.9 | -1.5 | 2.46 |
| 2020 | 16,858,333 | 341,212 | 96,001 | 245,211 | 20.2 | 5.7 | 14.5 | 0.5 | 2.27 |
| 2021 | 17,109,746 | 345,149 | 118,465 | 226,684 | 20.2 | 6.8 | 13.4 | 1.5 | 2.26 |
| 2022 | 17,357,886 | 345,869 | 95,386 | 250,483 | 19.9 | 5.5 | 14.4 | -0.1 | 2.24 |
| 2023 | 17,602,431 | 342,694 | 95,948 | 246,743 | 19.5 | 5.5 | 14.0 | -0.1 | 2.20 |
(C) = Census results.

#### Current vital statistics

| Period | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase |
| January – March 2023 | 79,935 | 22,791 | +57,144 |
| January – March 2024 | 68,391 | 23,279 | +45,112 |
| Difference | -11,544 (-14.4%) | +488 (+2.1%) | -12,032 |

### Demographic and Health Surveys

Total fertility rate (TFR) (wanted fertility rate) and crude birth rate (CBR):
| Year | CBR (total) | TFR (total) | CBR (urban) | TFR (urban) | CBR (rural) | TFR (rural) |
| 1987 | | 5.6 (4.9) | | 4.1 (3.5) | | 6.5 (5.8) |
| 1995 | | 5.1 (4.0) | | 3.8 (3.0) | | 6.2 (4.8) |
| 1998–99 | 38.0 | 5.0 (4.1) | 34.8 | 4.1 (3.4) | 40.1 | 5.8 (4.6) |
| 2002 | | 4.4 | | 3.4 | | 5.2 |
| 2008–09 | | 3.6 | | 2.9 | | 4.2 |
| 2014–15 | 27.3 | 3.1 (2.6) | 22.5 | 2.5 (2.0) | 31.0 | 3.7 (3.0) |

### Marriage and childbearing

The legal age for females to get married in Guatemala was 14, but was raised to 16 with parental consent and 18 without in November 2015. This phenomenon, known as child marriage, is prevalent in Central America; in rural areas of Guatemala, 53% of 20 to 24-year-old women married before their 18th birthday. Once married, young girls are likely to abandon their education and are exposed to domestic and sexual violence. They are no longer seen as girls; their husbands, who are often older men, see them as servants. Frequently births are at home. Most of these women are isolated without networks of support.
In most cases, motherhood comes after marriage. However, due to the fact that these young women' bodies are not entirely developed, many pregnancies result in high complications and high risks for both the mother and baby, during and after labor. Because there is limited access to health services, women in Guatemala choose a different alternative when it comes to the care during and after child delivery. Pregnancies before marriage are on the rise and unmarried women make their decision based on their image more than their safety. Single Guatemalan women may choose midwives as their health care provider during pregnancy and delivery to avoid feeling ashamed. Other women know the midwives in the community personally so they opt for a private healthcare provider. Throughout the country, midwives are known as the providers of choice for approximately 80% of the births even though they are not professionally trained. This contributes to the increasing infant mortality rate of 100 per 1,000 births as reported in some Guatemalan communities.

## Ethnic groups

* Ladino (Mestizo) (56.01%)
* Maya (41.66%)
* Xinca (1.77%)
* Sub-Saharan (0.19%)
* Garifuna (Zambo) (0.13%)
* Others (0.24%)
Official 2018 statistics indicate that approximately 56% of the population is "non-Indigenous", referring to the Mestizo population of mixed indigenous and European origins (50-52%) and the people of European origin (14-26%), Most are of Spanish, German and Italian descent. These people are called Ladino in Guatemala. Genetic testing indicates that Guatemalan Mestizos are of predominantly indigenous ancestry, although they have a high level of European ancestry as well.
Approximately 43.4% of the population is Indigenous 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. They live all over the country, especially in the highlands. While the official censuses usually count around 40% of the Guatemalan population being indigenous, this percentage is actually much higher, with around 60% of Guatemalans being indigenous.
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 1521 A.D. Following 1521 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.
The ethnic 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.
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.
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 900 Jews living in Guatemala today. Most live in Guatemala City, Quezaltenango and San Marcos. Today, the Jewish community in Guatemala is about 60% Ashkenazi and 40% Sephardi.
In 2014, numerous members of the Hasidic 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 traditional Jewish clothing.
Guatemala has a community of East Asian descent, largely of Chinese and Korean origin. There are thousands of Arab Guatemalans descending from West Asian countries like Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Iraq. Some belong to Christian Churches while others to Islamic Mosques.

## Languages

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. 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. 21 Mayan languages, one indigenous, and one Arawakan are spoken in Guatemala. The most significant are; Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna and Xinca.
There are also significant numbers of German, Chinese, French and English speakers.
| Rank | Language | Language family |
| 1 | Spanish | Indo-European |
| 2 | K’iche’ | Mayan |
| 3 | Q'eqchi' | Mayan |
| 4 | Kaqchikel | Mayan |
| 5 | Mam | Mayan |
| 6 | Poqomchi | Mayan |
| 7 | Tz’utujil | Mayan |
| 8 | Achí | Mayan |
| 9 | Q’anjob’al | Mayan |
| 10 | Ixil | Mayan |
| 11 | Akatek | Mayan |
| 12 | Jakaltek | Mayan |
| 13 | Chuj | Mayan |
| 14 | Poqomam | Mayan |
| 15 | Ch'orti' | Mayan |
| 16 | Awakatek | Mayan |
| 17 | Sakapultek | Mayan |
| 18 | Sipakapa | Mayan |
| 19 | Garífuna | Arawakan |
| 20 | Uspantek | Mayan |
| 21 | Tektitek | Mayan |
| 22 | Mopan | Mayan |
| 23 | Xincan languages | Isolate |
| 24 | Itza | Mayan |

## Religion

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 around two fifths of Guatemalans are Protestant, specially Evangelicals (with Pentecostals as the biggest branch). Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy claim rapid growth, especially among the Indigenous Maya. Other churches include the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other Christian minorities.
Indigenous beliefs are sometimes combined with Christianity. Maya religion believers only account for less than 0.1% of the population and since the mid-1990s the Constitution recognizes the rights of Maya Religion. The Islamic community in Guatemala is growing, and is projected to include at least 2,000 believers by 2030. 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.
Religious evolution in Guatemala :
| Year | % Catholic | % Protestants | % Others | % No religion |
| March 1986 | 62.1% | 25.0% | 3.5% | 10.4% |
| March 1991 | 63.0% | 19.4% | 4.0% | 13.6% |
| October 2001-January 2002 | 55.8% | 23.1% | 3.8% | 17.3% |
| June 2011 | 50.0% | 35.0% | 3.0% | 12.0% |
| June 2017 | 44.5% | 39.0% | 3.3% | 13.2% |

## 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. In 2013, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimated that there were about 900,000 Guatemalan Americans (persons of Guatemalan origin in the United States).
| Country | Count |
| United States | 480,665 – 1,489,426 |
| Mexico | 23,529 |
| Belize | 14,693 |
| Canada | 14,256 – 34,665 |
| Germany | 5,989 |
| Honduras | 5,172 |
| El Salvador | 4,209 |
| Spain | 2,491 |