Country Profile – Guatemala

Country Profile: Guatemala

Connecting country profiles with data that drives disaster readiness

This section brings together key demographic, geographic, economic, and natural risk indicators that shape the nation’s exposure and vulnerability. These elements paint a comprehensive picture of the country’s baseline conditions, supporting informed decision-making, strategic planning, and targeted action to strengthen resilience across the region.

General Information

Total population (inhabitants): 18,255,216 (2024 est.) (9,204,532 Female and 9,050,684 Male)
Human Development Index (HDI): 0.662 (137 out of 193 countries)
Basic geography: Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize. With a total area of 108,889 sq km and x km of coastline. The terrain is composed of two east-west trending mountain chains divide the country into three regions: the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of the mountains, and the vast northern Peten lowlands (Highest point: 4,220 m and mean elevation: 759 m).

Economic Overview

Real GDP growth (Annual percent change): 3.8 (2025)
GDP and GDP per capita current prices (U.S. dollars): 120.85 billion and 6.48 thousand (2025)
GDP – composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 9.8%, industry: 21.7% and services: 61.8% (2024 est.)*
Key indicators of economic vulnerability
- General government gross debt (% of GDP 2025): 27

*Figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Risks and Disasters

Natural Disaster History (1980-2024)

Type of disaster	Total Disasters (#)	Total Deaths (Persons)	Total Affected (Persons)	Total Damages (000 USD, Adjusted for Inflation)	Internal Displacements (2008-2024)
Drought	7	41	5,753,081	173,503
Earthquake	13	79	1,486,272	281,400	42,000
Epidemic	9	629	57,041	0
Extreme temperature	4	6	12,634	0	48,000
Flood	37	1,069	9,109,818	613,846	188,000
Mass movement (dry)	2	59	3,028	0	1,000
Mass movement (wet)	12	764	178,416	705,107	63,000
Storm	22	2,298	4,550,713	4,304,213	545,000
Volcanic activity	11	461	1,743,946	0	51,000
Wildfire	4	0	200	0	480
Total	121	5406	22,895,149	6,078,069	938,480

International Risk Indexes – LAC INFORM RISK

The Index for Risk Management (INFORM) for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region uses a scale of 0–10 to represent the level of risk, where 0 represents the lowest and 10 represents the highest. The Natural column shows the overall index related to natural hazards.

To access an indicator at the global level, please consult this page: INFORM Risk

Earthquake and tsunami
9.4

Flood
6

Tropical cyclone
5.8

Eco-Damage and drought
9.3

Epidemics
7.1

Natural
7.9

References

Central Intelligence Agency. (2025). The World Factbook: Countries. The World Factbook. [LINK]

International Monetary Fund. (2025). DataMapper profile. International Monetary Fund. [LINK]

International Monetary Fund. (2025). Gross general government debt data by country. International Monetary Fund. [LINK]

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. (2024). Displacement Data. IDMC. [LINK]

Joint Research Centre (JRC) — European Commission. (2020). INFORM Subnational Risk: Latin America and Caribbean. INFORM Index. [LINK]

United Nations Development Programme. (2025). Country insights. Human Development Reports. [LINK]

World Bank. (2024). Explore. Climate Change Knowledge Portal. [LINK]

Additional Information

Last Updated: November 2025

Created by: Azucena Ceniceros Gutiérrez