Number of people living in extreme poverty in Guatemala
Guatemala: Number of people living in extreme poverty was 16.37 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Guatemala, 1986–2023
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Guatemala recorded 16.37 million people for number of people living in extreme poverty in 2023. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty in Guatemala peaked at 16.37 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.31 million people, in 1986.
That places Guatemala 51st out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 4.31 million people | — |
| 1989 | 5.69 million people | +32.2% |
| 1998 | 9.65 million people | +69.5% |
| 2000 | 10.67 million people | +10.6% |
| 2006 | 11.96 million people | +12.1% |
| 2014 | 14.43 million people | +20.7% |
| 2023 | 16.37 million people | +13.4% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 16.37 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 16.37 million people, 1.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 16.37 million people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 11.75 million people, 1.4× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.00 million people | 4.31 million people | 5.69 million people | 2 |
| 1990s | 9.65 million people | 9.65 million people | 9.65 million people | 1 |
| 2000s | 11.32 million people | 10.67 million people | 11.96 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 14.43 million people | 14.43 million people | 14.43 million people | 1 |
| 2020s | 16.37 million people | 16.37 million people | 16.37 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
More poverty & inequality data for Guatemala
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 2.31 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,822 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -5.65 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 12.3 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 12.3% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in extreme poverty in Guatemala?
- Number of people living in extreme poverty in Guatemala was 16.37 million people in 2023, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 16.37 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.31 million people in 1986.
- How does Guatemala rank for number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Guatemala ranks 51st out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Guatemala data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $3 per day.