
Population growth in Guatemala
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Guatemala increased from 4.13 million to 17.11 million people. This is a growth of 314.4 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Guatemala was recorded in 1961 with 2.98 percent. The smallest increase in 2021 with 1.49 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Guatemala rose by 4.01 years from 2012 to 2021 from 19.19 to 23.20 years (median value).
Around 52 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 2.3 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Guatemala
Population development in Guatemala since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)Year | Population Guatemala | Change Guatemala | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 4.25 M | 2.98 % | 47.8 ‰ | 18.2 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
1962 | 4.38 M | 2.98 % | 47.3 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
1963 | 4.51 M | 2.97 % | 46.9 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
1964 | 4.64 M | 2.94 % | 46.5 ‰ | 16.9 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
1965 | 4.77 M | 2.89 % | 46.2 ‰ | 16.5 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
1966 | 4.91 M | 2.84 % | 45.9 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
1967 | 5.05 M | 2.78 % | 45.7 ‰ | 15.6 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
1968 | 5.18 M | 2.71 % | 45.6 ‰ | 15.2 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
1969 | 5.32 M | 2.62 % | 45.4 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
1970 | 5.46 M | 2.54 % | 45.3 ‰ | 14.5 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
1971 | 5.59 M | 2.46 % | 45.2 ‰ | 14.1 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
1972 | 5.72 M | 2.40 % | 45.1 ‰ | 13.8 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
1973 | 5.86 M | 2.35 % | 45.1 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
1974 | 5.99 M | 2.32 % | 45.0 ‰ | 13.1 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
1975 | 6.13 M | 2.28 % | 44.9 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
1976 | 6.27 M | 2.26 % | 44.8 ‰ | 12.6 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
1977 | 6.41 M | 2.28 % | 44.6 ‰ | 12.3 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
1978 | 6.56 M | 2.33 % | 44.4 ‰ | 12.1 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
1979 | 6.72 M | 2.42 % | 44.2 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
1980 | 6.89 M | 2.53 % | 43.8 ‰ | 11.5 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 7.07 M | 2.62 % | 43.4 ‰ | 11.2 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 7.26 M | 2.71 % | 42.9 ‰ | 10.9 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 7.46 M | 2.75 % | 42.3 ‰ | 10.6 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 7.67 M | 2.78 % | 41.6 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 7.88 M | 2.79 % | 41.0 ‰ | 10.0 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 8.10 M | 2.80 % | 40.4 ‰ | 9.7 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 8.33 M | 2.81 % | 39.9 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 8.57 M | 2.81 % | 39.5 ‰ | 9.1 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 8.81 M | 2.80 % | 39.2 ‰ | 8.8 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 9.05 M | 2.77 % | 39.0 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 9.30 M | 2.73 % | 38.8 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 9.54 M | 2.66 % | 38.6 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 9.79 M | 2.58 % | 38.4 ‰ | 7.8 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 10.04 M | 2.52 % | 38.1 ‰ | 7.5 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 10.29 M | 2.48 % | 37.8 ‰ | 7.3 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 10.54 M | 2.43 % | 37.3 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 10.79 M | 2.39 % | 36.9 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 11.05 M | 2.39 % | 36.4 ‰ | 6.6 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 11.31 M | 2.40 % | 35.9 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 11.59 M | 2.46 % | 35.3 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 11.87 M | 2.43 % | 34.7 ‰ | 6.1 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 12.15 M | 2.32 % | 34.0 ‰ | 5.9 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 12.42 M | 2.20 % | 33.2 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 12.68 M | 2.15 % | 32.4 ‰ | 5.7 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 12.95 M | 2.10 % | 31.5 ‰ | 5.6 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 13.21 M | 2.05 % | 30.6 ‰ | 5.5 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 13.48 M | 2.00 % | 29.7 ‰ | 5.4 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 13.74 M | 1.95 % | 28.9 ‰ | 5.3 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 14.00 M | 1.90 % | 28.3 ‰ | 5.2 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 14.26 M | 1.85 % | 27.7 ‰ | 5.2 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 14.52 M | 1.84 % | 27.2 ‰ | 5.1 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 14.78 M | 1.79 % | 26.8 ‰ | 5.0 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 15.04 M | 1.77 % | 26.4 ‰ | 4.9 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 15.31 M | 1.74 % | 26.1 ‰ | 5.1 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 15.57 M | 1.71 % | 25.8 ‰ | 5.1 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
2016 | 15.83 M | 1.67 % | 25.5 ‰ | 5.0 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
2017 | 16.09 M | 1.64 % | 24.8 ‰ | 5.0 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 16.35 M | 1.61 % | 23.9 ‰ | 5.0 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
2019 | 16.60 M | 1.57 % | 22.9 ‰ | 4.9 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 16.86 M | 1.53 % | 21.8 ‰ | 5.3 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
2021 | 17.11 M | 1.49 % | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |

Birth and death rate in Guatemala
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Guatemala increased by about 254,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 5.3 per 1,000 people (~ 88,600 deaths) and the birth rate was 21.8 per 1,000 people (~ 362,000 births). As a result, around 19,400 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 79,150 in Guatemala. The number of births was 393,016 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate