Guatemala ranked 68/197 by economy size with a GDP of $113B and 112/197 by GDP per capita at $6,150. Guatemala has $30B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 27.7%.
In 2026, Guatemala made up 0.1% of the world's economy, compared to 0.08% in 1960.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1960 | $1,043,599,900 | $7,658,204,179 | - |
| 1961 | $1,076,699,900 | $7,987,393,491 | 3.17% |
| 1962 | $1,143,600,000 | $8,269,867,763 | 6.21% |
| 1963 | $1,262,800,000 | $9,058,899,479 | 10.4% |
| 1964 | $1,299,099,900 | $9,478,597,606 | 2.87% |
| 1965 | $1,331,399,900 | $9,892,032,168 | 2.49% |
| 1966 | $1,390,700,000 | $10,437,291,268 | 4.45% |
| 1967 | $1,453,500,000 | $10,866,491,014 | 4.52% |
| 1968 | $1,610,500,000 | $11,819,051,426 | 10.8% |
| 1969 | $1,715,399,900 | $12,378,909,139 | 6.51% |
| 1970 | $1,904,000,000 | $13,085,482,863 | 11% |
| 1971 | $1,984,800,000 | $13,816,144,107 | 4.24% |
| 1972 | $2,101,300,000 | $14,829,289,087 | 5.87% |
| 1973 | $2,569,200,100 | $15,835,135,199 | 22.3% |
| 1974 | $3,161,499,900 | $16,844,629,803 | 23.1% |
| 1975 | $3,645,900,000 | $17,173,098,538 | 15.3% |
| 1976 | $4,365,300,200 | $18,441,720,943 | 19.7% |
| 1977 | $5,480,500,200 | $19,881,875,629 | 25.5% |
| 1978 | $6,070,600,200 | $20,875,311,285 | 10.8% |
| 1979 | $6,902,600,200 | $21,859,259,916 | 13.7% |
| 1980 | $7,878,700,000 | $22,681,163,315 | 14.1% |
| 1981 | $8,607,500,300 | $22,827,878,373 | 9.25% |
| 1982 | $8,716,999,700 | $22,022,033,947 | 1.27% |
| 1983 | $9,050,000,400 | $21,455,607,096 | 3.82% |
| 1984 | $9,470,000,100 | $21,562,176,615 | 4.64% |
| 1985 | $9,721,652,087 | $21,430,789,873 | 2.66% |
| 1986 | $7,231,963,516 | $21,461,446,531 | -25.6% |
| 1987 | $7,084,399,840 | $22,222,036,614 | -2.04% |
| 1988 | $7,841,602,824 | $23,087,004,292 | 10.7% |
| 1989 | $8,410,724,361 | $23,997,230,104 | 7.26% |
| 1990 | $7,650,196,845 | $24,741,759,328 | -9.04% |
| 1991 | $9,406,135,143 | $25,646,874,429 | 23% |
| 1992 | $10,440,781,588 | $26,887,757,118 | 11% |
| 1993 | $11,400,017,301 | $27,943,674,817 | 9.19% |
| 1994 | $12,983,233,311 | $29,070,850,424 | 13.9% |
| 1995 | $14,655,404,433 | $30,509,435,266 | 12.9% |
| 1996 | $15,674,835,615 | $31,411,837,206 | 6.96% |
| 1997 | $17,790,026,222 | $32,782,678,036 | 13.5% |
| 1998 | $19,395,491,993 | $34,419,690,178 | 9.02% |
| 1999 | $18,318,412,251 | $35,743,837,064 | -5.55% |
| 2000 | $19,288,929,030 | $37,033,785,219 | 5.3% |
| 2001 | $18,405,220,247 | $37,897,625,985 | -4.58% |
| 2002 | $20,444,205,991 | $39,352,624,645 | 11.1% |
| 2003 | $21,576,351,799 | $40,360,200,458 | 5.54% |
| 2004 | $23,577,298,095 | $41,626,669,983 | 9.27% |
| 2005 | $26,783,389,294 | $42,990,370,900 | 13.6% |
| 2006 | $29,744,246,827 | $45,290,956,657 | 11.1% |
| 2007 | $33,567,850,824 | $48,161,370,082 | 12.9% |
| 2008 | $38,503,720,224 | $49,747,576,365 | 14.7% |
| 2009 | $37,126,148,265 | $49,984,821,615 | -3.58% |
| 2010 | $40,676,578,423 | $51,426,471,557 | 9.56% |
| 2011 | $46,876,006,272 | $53,567,821,946 | 15.2% |
| 2012 | $49,593,929,487 | $55,161,308,536 | 5.8% |
| 2013 | $52,996,420,177 | $57,199,419,016 | 6.86% |
| 2014 | $57,852,159,008 | $59,741,348,518 | 9.16% |
| 2015 | $62,186,066,548 | $62,186,066,548 | 7.49% |
| 2016 | $66,053,408,206 | $63,851,286,764 | 6.22% |
| 2017 | $71,653,780,740 | $65,817,811,430 | 8.48% |
| 2018 | $73,328,356,008 | $68,060,140,995 | 2.34% |
| 2019 | $77,172,331,693 | $70,794,727,937 | 5.24% |
| 2020 | $77,719,468,248 | $69,530,651,433 | 0.71% |
| 2021 | $86,455,522,273 | $75,122,100,459 | 11.2% |
| 2022 | $95,641,446,501 | $78,265,598,404 | 10.6% |
| 2023 | $104,368,755,055 | $81,030,845,278 | 9.13% |
| 2024 | $113,199,581,158 | $83,989,981,407 | 8.46% |
Economic Statistics of Guatemala
Guatemala
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$113B
2024 |
68/197 |
| GDP growth |
8.46%
2023-2024 |
64/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$6,150
2024 |
112/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$14,369
2024 |
116/197 |
| Government debt |
$30B
2024 |
90/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
27.7%
2026 |
165/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$1,628
2024 |
124/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$5,583
2026 |
109/197 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
34.1%
2023 |
22/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
1.6%
2023 |
156/169 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
15%
2026 |
184/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
2.87%
2023-2024 |
108/195 |
| Central bank interest rate |
4.5%
2024 |
68/105 |
| Unemployment rate |
2.34%
2023 |
169/196 |
| Population |
18971012
|
70/197 |
Guatemala's GDP per capita
Guatemala has a GDP per capita of $6,150, ranking 112/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $14,369, ranking 116/197, and a median annual after tax income of $5,583, ranking 109/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | $256.8 | - |
| 1961 | $257.2 | - |
| 1962 | $265.2 | - |
| 1963 | $284.4 | - |
| 1964 | $284.2 | - |
| 1965 | $283 | - |
| 1966 | $287.3 | - |
| 1967 | $291.9 | - |
| 1968 | $315 | - |
| 1969 | $326 | - |
| 1970 | $353 | - |
| 1971 | $358 | - |
| 1972 | $370 | - |
| 1973 | $441 | - |
| 1974 | $529 | - |
| 1975 | $595 | - |
| 1976 | $697 | - |
| 1977 | $856 | - |
| 1978 | $925 | - |
| 1979 | $1,026 | - |
| 1980 | $1,142 | - |
| 1981 | $1,216 | - |
| 1982 | $1,204 | - |
| 1983 | $1,220 | - |
| 1984 | $1,241 | - |
| 1985 | $1,238 | - |
| 1986 | $896 | - |
| 1987 | $854 | - |
| 1988 | $919 | - |
| 1989 | $958 | - |
| 1990 | $848 | $3,330 |
| 1991 | $1,014 | $3,473 |
| 1992 | $1,096 | $3,626 |
| 1993 | $1,166 | $3,756 |
| 1994 | $1,293 | $3,886 |
| 1995 | $1,421 | $4,055 |
| 1996 | $1,481 | $4,143 |
| 1997 | $1,638 | $4,287 |
| 1998 | $1,741 | $4,437 |
| 1999 | $1,604 | $4,557 |
| 2000 | $1,649 | $4,715 |
| 2001 | $1,538 | $4,822 |
| 2002 | $1,669 | $4,969 |
| 2003 | $1,723 | $5,081 |
| 2004 | $1,841 | $5,263 |
| 2005 | $2,046 | $5,486 |
| 2006 | $2,225 | $5,833 |
| 2007 | $2,459 | $6,238 |
| 2008 | $2,763 | $6,435 |
| 2009 | $2,612 | $6,377 |
| 2010 | $2,805 | $6,510 |
| 2011 | $3,169 | $6,784 |
| 2012 | $3,287 | $7,258 |
| 2013 | $3,444 | $7,700 |
| 2014 | $3,689 | $8,237 |
| 2015 | $3,894 | $8,934 |
| 2016 | $4,060 | $9,201 |
| 2017 | $4,325 | $9,560 |
| 2018 | $4,353 | $9,947 |
| 2019 | $4,512 | $10,756 |
| 2020 | $4,478 | $10,947 |
| 2021 | $4,913 | $11,825 |
| 2022 | $5,359 | $13,014 |
| 2023 | $5,758 | $13,745 |
| 2024 | $6,150 | $14,369 |
Guatemala's government spending, deficit, and chart
This chart shows Guatemala's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.
Over the past 32 years, Guatemala recorded a fiscal deficit in 31 years — average annual deficit equal to -1.88% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $15.2B (15% of GDP), with a deficit of -2.53%.
The national debt reached $30B, ranking 90th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 27.7%, ranking 165th.
| Year | % of GDP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government spending | Government debt | Government deficit/surplus | |
| 1995 | 9.77% | 21% | -0.53% |
| 1996 | 9.85% | 19.2% | 0.04% |
| 1997 | 11.2% | 18.5% | -0.79% |
| 1998 | 13.2% | 19% | -2.29% |
| 1999 | 14.6% | 22% | -2.96% |
| 2000 | 13.6% | 18% | -1.88% |
| 2001 | 13.8% | 19.1% | -2% |
| 2002 | 13.1% | 17.4% | -1.03% |
| 2003 | 14.4% | 19.8% | -2.47% |
| 2004 | 12.9% | 20.6% | -1.05% |
| 2005 | 13.2% | 20% | -1.67% |
| 2006 | 14.2% | 20.9% | -1.88% |
| 2007 | 13.9% | 20.8% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 13.3% | 19.6% | -1.57% |
| 2009 | 14.1% | 22.8% | -3.12% |
| 2010 | 14.5% | 24% | -3.28% |
| 2011 | 14.5% | 23.8% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 14.2% | 24.6% | -2.42% |
| 2013 | 14% | 25% | -2.16% |
| 2014 | 13.6% | 24.7% | -1.92% |
| 2015 | 12.6% | 24.8% | -1.47% |
| 2016 | 12.6% | 24.9% | -1.11% |
| 2017 | 12.8% | 25.1% | -1.38% |
| 2018 | 13.2% | 26.4% | -1.88% |
| 2019 | 13.4% | 26.4% | -2.24% |
| 2020 | 15.6% | 31.5% | -4.91% |
| 2021 | 13.5% | 30.6% | -1.16% |
| 2022 | 14.3% | 29% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 13.7% | 27.2% | -1.25% |
| 2024 | 13.5% | 26.5% | -1.01% |
| 2025 | 14.9% | 27.2% | -2.5% |
| 2026 | 15% | 27.7% | -2.53% |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, Guatemala has had an average annual inflation rate of 4.97%. In 2024, inflation was 2.87%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1960 | -1.19% |
| 1961 | -0.55% |
| 1962 | 2.05% |
| 1963 | 0.15% |
| 1964 | -0.19% |
| 1965 | -0.8% |
| 1966 | 0.68% |
| 1967 | 0.49% |
| 1968 | 1.93% |
| 1969 | 2.1% |
| 1970 | 2.34% |
| 1971 | -0.45% |
| 1972 | 0.53% |
| 1973 | 13.8% |
| 1974 | 16.5% |
| 1975 | 13.2% |
| 1976 | 10.7% |
| 1977 | 12.3% |
| 1978 | 8.29% |
| 1979 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | 10.8% |
| 1981 | 11.4% |
| 1982 | 0.31% |
| 1983 | 4.54% |
| 1984 | 3.41% |
| 1985 | 18.7% |
| 1986 | 36.9% |
| 1987 | 12.3% |
| 1988 | 10.8% |
| 1989 | 11.4% |
| 1990 | 41.2% |
| 1991 | 33.2% |
| 1992 | 10% |
| 1993 | 11.8% |
| 1994 | 10.9% |
| 1995 | 8.41% |
| 1996 | 11.1% |
| 1997 | 9.23% |
| 1998 | 6.61% |
| 1999 | 5.21% |
| 2000 | 5.98% |
| 2001 | 7.29% |
| 2002 | 8.13% |
| 2003 | 5.6% |
| 2004 | 7.58% |
| 2005 | 9.11% |
| 2006 | 6.56% |
| 2007 | 6.82% |
| 2008 | 11.4% |
| 2009 | 1.86% |
| 2010 | 3.86% |
| 2011 | 6.21% |
| 2012 | 3.78% |
| 2013 | 4.34% |
| 2014 | 3.42% |
| 2015 | 2.39% |
| 2016 | 4.45% |
| 2017 | 4.42% |
| 2018 | 3.75% |
| 2019 | 3.7% |
| 2020 | 3.21% |
| 2021 | 4.26% |
| 2022 | 6.89% |
| 2023 | 6.21% |
| 2024 | 2.87% |
Balance of trade
|
Guatemala
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
$3.27B
2024 |
38/190 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
+2.89%
2024 |
49/190 |
| Goods imports |
$29.1B
2024 |
71/189 |
| Goods exports |
$13.3B
2024 |
88/189 |
| Service imports |
$6.45B
2024 |
81/189 |
| Service exports |
$4.65B
2024 |
95/189 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
31.5%
2024 |
124/181 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
15.9%
2024 |
164/193 |
Guatemala's top 10 trading partners
Guatemala's biggest trading partner accounting for 32.9%% of all exports and imports is the United States, with a trade balance between the two of -$5.85B — Guatemala exports $4.7B worth of goods and services to the United States and imports $10.6B.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Guatemala.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
United States
|
$15.3B | 32.9% | $4.7B | $10.6B | Raw agricultural goods | Raw materials & minerals |
| 2 |
China
|
$4.82B | 10.4% | $43.8M | $4.77B | Metals | Machinery & equipment |
| 3 |
Mexico
|
$4.14B | 8.91% | $727M | $3.41B | Processed food, beverages & tobacco | Chemicals & pharma |
| 4 |
El Salvador
|
$3.47B | 7.47% | $1.95B | $1.52B | Processed food, beverages & tobacco | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 5 |
Honduras
|
$2.58B | 5.57% | $1.67B | $912M | Chemicals & pharma | Raw materials & minerals |
| 6 |
Costa Rica
|
$1.83B | 3.94% | $674M | $1.16B | Chemicals & pharma | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 7 |
Panama
|
$1.43B | 3.08% | $328M | $1.1B | Chemicals & pharma | Chemicals & pharma |
| 8 |
Nicaragua
|
$1.25B | 2.7% | $1.06B | $192M | Chemicals & pharma | Animal & marine products |
| 9 |
Colombia
|
$766M | 1.65% | $125M | $640M | Chemicals & pharma | Raw materials & minerals |
| 10 |
Brazil
|
$755M | 1.63% | $54.3M | $701M | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
Guatemala's top 10 exports
|
Guatemala
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Raw agricultural goods | $3.69B | 36/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $3.41B | 48/192 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $2.53B | 53/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $2.17B | 60/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $1.57B | 103/188 |
| Business & finance services | $904M | 77/188 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $859M | 110/193 |
| Metals | $685M | 77/192 |
| IT & IP services | $640M | 69/183 |
| Wood & paper products | $591M | 59/192 |
Guatemala's top 10 imports
|
Guatemala
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Machinery & equipment | $8.65B | 70/193 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $6.14B | 66/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $5.07B | 64/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $3.82B | 74/188 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $3.2B | 59/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $3.09B | 63/193 |
| Metals | $2.22B | 72/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $1.49B | 68/193 |
| Wood & paper products | $1.16B | 59/193 |
| Animal & marine products | $1.05B | 59/193 |
Economic freedom indices
|
Guatemala
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 63.4 | 78/197 |
| Property rights | 38.7 | 127/182 |
| Government integrity | 22.6 | 127/182 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 26.8 | 127/182 |
| Tax burden | 92 | 24/181 |
| Government spending | 94.3 | 9/180 |
| Fiscal health | 95.5 | 28/181 |
| Business freedom | 67.1 | 90/182 |
| Labor freedom | 57.9 | 83/182 |
| Monetary freedom | 74.2 | 57/180 |
| Trade freedom | 72.2 | 87/181 |
| Investment freedom | 70 | 29/181 |
| Financial freedom | 50 | 80/181 |
Guatemala's economic freedom by year
Guatemala is ranked 71/180 for economic freedom with a score of 63.4, compared to 73/163 and a score of 59.5 in 2005.
| Year | Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | Judicial effectiveness | Tax burden | Government spending | Fiscal health | |
| 1995 | 62 | - | 86.8 | 96.6 | - |
| 1996 | 63.7 | - | 84.1 | 96.6 | - |
| 1997 | 65.7 | - | 81.5 | 97.5 | - |
| 1998 | 65.8 | - | 81.4 | 97.3 | - |
| 1999 | 66.2 | - | 84 | 97.3 | - |
| 2000 | 64.3 | - | 82.7 | 96.4 | - |
| 2001 | 65.1 | - | 86.7 | 94.9 | - |
| 2002 | 62.3 | - | 79.8 | 95.7 | - |
| 2003 | 62.3 | - | 79.8 | 95.5 | - |
| 2004 | 59.6 | - | 79.8 | 95 | - |
| 2005 | 59.5 | - | 77 | 95.4 | - |
| 2006 | 59.1 | - | 79.7 | 94.6 | - |
| 2007 | 60.5 | - | 79.8 | 96.1 | - |
| 2008 | 59.8 | - | 79.9 | 95.9 | - |
| 2009 | 59.4 | - | 79.4 | 93.5 | - |
| 2010 | 61 | - | 79.3 | 93.9 | - |
| 2011 | 61.9 | - | 79.5 | 94.4 | - |
| 2012 | 60.9 | - | 79.6 | 93.9 | - |
| 2013 | 60 | - | 79.6 | 93.6 | - |
| 2014 | 61.2 | - | 79.6 | 93.6 | - |
| 2015 | 60.4 | - | 79.6 | 94.1 | - |
| 2016 | 61.8 | - | 79.1 | 94.3 | - |
| 2017 | 63 | 27.8 | 79.2 | 94.8 | 93.5 |
| 2018 | 63.4 | 33.1 | 79.2 | 95.3 | 95.3 |
| 2019 | 62.6 | 32.3 | 79.2 | 95.6 | 96.2 |
| 2020 | 64 | 32.2 | 79.2 | 95.6 | 95.7 |
| 2021 | 64 | 32.6 | 91.8 | 94.8 | 92.1 |
| 2022 | 63.2 | 36.9 | 91.5 | 94 | 83.3 |
| 2023 | 62.7 | 24.9 | 91.7 | 94 | 85.8 |
| 2024 | 62.4 | 27.9 | 91.3 | 93.7 | 87.5 |
| 2025 | 63.4 | 26.8 | 92 | 94.3 | 95.5 |
More economic indicators
|
Guatemala
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
61.8%
2024 |
66/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
21.7%
2024 |
119/194 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
9.78%
2024 |
71/193 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$106B
2024 |
68/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$14,170
2024 |
113/191 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$24.4B
2024 |
57/177 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$983M
2024 |
119/189 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$1.85B
2024 |
70/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$865M
2024 |
50/193 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
1.75%
2024 |
98/121 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
56%
2023 |
14/176 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
16.7%
2024 |
148/178 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
Guatemala topic pages:
Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.