Destinations › Central America · The Destination Index · universal template · every figure sourced
Guatemala.
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize. 108,889 sq km and 18,687,881 people, 400 km of coastline, tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands.
Region · Central AmericaPopulation · ~18,687,881Languages · Spanish, plus 22 Maya languages including K'iche', Q'eqchi', Kaqchikel and Mam, and Garifuna and XincaEco Index · 73/100 · Passable
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Conservation
Wildlife
Water
Food & farming
Organic & clean
Climate & energy
Waste
Health
Heritage
Ownership
Governance
Future
The History of Guatemala.
Guatemala carries one of the Americas' deepest living indigenous heritages, rooted in more than twenty Maya peoples. Marimba music accompanies daily life, and traditional dance dramas endure, including the Rabinal Achí, a pre-Hispanic Maya dance drama recognised by UNESCO, the Baile de la Conquista and the Palo Volador.
Where the name comes from
From the Nahuatl Quauhtlemallan, usually read as 'place of many trees'. Source: national and regional toponymic records.
The land itself: two mountain chains divide the country into highlands, the Pacific coast to their south, and the Petén lowlands to the north. Its high point is Volcán Tajumulco, 4,220 m. Source: national mapping and survey records.
Where it starts
Four thousand years, unbroken
Maya communities were making ceramics here between 2000 and 900 BC, and the earliest Maya settlements date to around 1800 BC. Excavation at El Mirador and San Bartolo shows the full emergence of Maya culture in the Preclassic: cities rather than villages, monumental architecture, writing and a mural tradition. The royal dynasty of Yax Mutal was established at Tikal in AD 90, and the oldest known Maya stela was raised there around AD 292. This is not a civilisation that ended. More than twenty Maya languages are spoken in Guatemala today.
How it got here
Invasion, independence, war
Spanish forces invaded the highlands in 1524 and fought the K'iche' and Kaqchikel kingdoms. Independence from Spain came in 1821. Thirty-six years of internal armed conflict ended with peace accords in 1996, and a UN-backed truth commission found the great majority of victims were Indigenous Maya.
The timeline
2000 to 900 BC
Ceramics and the Preclassic.
Maya communities develop ceramics, opening the Preclassic period. Settlement moves from villages toward cities. ↗
c. 1800 BC
The earliest Maya settlements.
The earliest dated Maya settlements mark the start of a cultural sequence that runs unbroken to the present day. ↗
c. 600 BC to AD 150
El Mirador and San Bartolo.
Excavation at El Mirador and San Bartolo shows Maya culture fully emerging in this period: cities rather than villages, monumental architecture, public ceremonial buildings, writing and a mural tradition. ↗
AD 90
The Yax Mutal dynasty.
The royal dynasty of Yax Mutal is established at Tikal in the Peten, one of the earliest and largest Classic-period centres. ↗
AD 292
The oldest known Maya stela.
The oldest known Maya stela is raised at Tikal, carrying a date in the Maya long count. ↗
AD 250 to 900
The Classic period.
Maya cities across the lowlands reach their height, with dynastic records inscribed in stone, astronomical calculation and long-distance trade. ↗
AD 900 onward
The Postclassic.
Lowland cities are progressively abandoned while highland Maya kingdoms including the K'iche' and Kaqchikel remain powerful. ↗
1524
Spanish invasion.
Spanish forces invade the highlands and fight the K'iche' and Kaqchikel kingdoms. ↗
1821
Independence from Spain.
Guatemala becomes independent, later joining and then leaving the Federal Republic of Central America. ↗
1960 to 1996
Civil war.
Thirty-six years of internal armed conflict end with peace accords in 1996. A UN-backed commission found the great majority of victims were Indigenous Maya. ↗
Today
A Maya-majority country.
More than twenty Maya languages are spoken in Guatemala today, alongside Xinka and Garifuna. ↗
Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, Guatemala · Instituto de Antropologia e Historia (IDAEH) · UNESCO World Heritage, Tikal National Park
Nature and Biodiversity in Guatemala.
Protected areas cover 20.1% of the land (World Bank, 2024), anchored by the vast Maya Biosphere Reserve, but only 0.8% of territorial waters are protected (World Bank, 2021). Enforcement is weak, with illegal logging, cattle ranching and fires eating into the reserve, so the headline figure overstates real protection.
Is wild Guatemala protected? 20.1% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Guatemala?
Forest cover32.6%
Terrestrial protected area20.1%
Marine protected area0.81%
495 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
Recorded in Guatemala and named in the open record. Endemic status is stated per species, not implied by this list.
Resplendent quetzal
Re
Guatemalan black howler
Gu
Horned guan
Ho
The watchlist
ThreatenedMaya Mouse (Peromyscus mayensis)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Guatemala in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedYellow-naped Amazon (Amazona auropalliata)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Guatemala in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedCampbell's Alligator Lizard (Abronia campbelli)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Guatemala in GBIF occurrence data (reptile).
ThreatenedVolcan Tajumulco Bromeliad Salamander (Dendrotriton bromeliacius)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Guatemala in GBIF occurrence data (amphibian).
ThreatenedSkutch's maple (Acer skutchii)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Guatemala in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedAgave tectaCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Guatemala in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedCryptotriton veraepacisCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Guatemala in GBIF occurrence data (amphibian).
ThreatenedBolitoglossa suchitanensisCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Guatemala in GBIF occurrence data (amphibian).
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Guatemala. GBIF holds 20 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Guatemala filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
National park in Jutiapa, mapped and named in the open record for Guatemala. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Guatemala.
Guatemala is rich in surface water, with hundreds of rivers, the crater lake of Atitlan and Lake Izabal fed by high rainfall, so raw supply is secure. Safety is the weak point, as only about 57% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2022), rural coverage is far lower and Lake Atitlan suffers recurring cyanobacteria blooms. Tap water is not safe for visitors.
Does Guatemala have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
48.8% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Coverage is well short of universal, so a visitor should not assume the tap is safe.
Cleanest water: The limestone pools of Semuc Champey and the rivers of Alta Verapaz
How much fresh water does Guatemala have, per person?
6,118 m³
Guatemala
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Guatemala withdraws about 3,324 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 5.7% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as no water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 57%, homes and towns 25%, industry 18%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on Guatemala beaches?
✕Tap water: Not drinkable.
✕Plastic rules: No national ban; several municipalities restrict single use plastics, led by San Pedro La Laguna in 2016.
✕Solo travel: rated take care on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 0.81% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Named on the open map: Barbacoa y Playa, Playa Palmare, Playa Pataxte, Playa Romelia, Playa San Miguel. That is 5 named beaches in the public record for Guatemala, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
How is the sea around Guatemala doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Dry Nov–Apr; the highlands are cool and the lakes can be moody.
Nearshore
Protected water
0.81% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
The limestone pools of Semuc Champey and the rivers of Alta Verapaz.
The record
Measured
Guatemala is rich in surface water, with hundreds of rivers, the crater lake of Atitlan and Lake Izabal fed by high rainfall, so raw supply is secure. Safety is the weak point, as only about 57% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2022), rural coverage is far lower and Lake Atitlan suffers recurring cyanobacteria blooms.
Sea protected
0.81%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
495 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Cleanest water
here
The limestone pools of Semuc Champey and the rivers of Alta Verapaz.
Is the tap water safe in Guatemala?
48.8% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 6,118 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 0 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 3.0% of what Guatemala renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Guatemala? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
.
How much fresh water does Guatemala actually have?
Nature renews about 6,118 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Guatemala 142 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the wetter half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Guatemala is strongly agricultural, exporting coffee, sugar, bananas and cardamom, while smallholders grow most of the country's own maize and beans through the traditional milpa system. Staple self sufficiency is high even though grains such as wheat are imported. Forest still covers 32.6% of the land (World Bank, 2023).
Where does the food in Guatemala come from?
17.4% imported
about US$6,026m a year
On the plate: Maize tortillas, black beans, squash, chillies, plantain and avocado, grown through the milpa system
How often each food is on the plate
Share of people eating each one regularly. These overlap, so they do not add up to 100%.
Maize tortillas60%
Black beans51%
Squash42%
Chillies33%
Plantain24%
Avocado15%
2 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$6,026m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
About 17.4% of everything Guatemala buys in from abroad is food, roughly 2 in every 10 imported items on the dock (2024, World Bank). Farming itself is 9.6% of the economy and 43% of the land is agricultural, of which 14.5% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in Guatemala? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined42.7%
Diabetes13.2%
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 63.2%.
Can Guatemala feed itself?
14.5%
Arable land
43.0%
Agricultural land
2,232,636
Farmers
3,840,012
Arable acres
9.6%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Coffee from November to March; maize and beans through the wet season from May to October
Feeding itself
Guatemala is strongly agricultural, exporting coffee, sugar, bananas and cardamom, while smallholders grow most of the country's own maize and beans through the traditional milpa system. Staple self sufficiency is high even though grains such as wheat are imported.
Certification
About 2.3% of agricultural land is certified organic (FiBL, 2020), placing Guatemala in the middle band. Much smallholder coffee and cardamom is grown with low inputs even where it is not certified.
Water for crops
Guatemala is rich in surface water, with hundreds of rivers, the crater lake of Atitlan and Lake Izabal fed by high rainfall, so raw supply is secure. Safety is the weak point, as only about 57% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2022), rural coverage is far lower and Lake Atitlan suffers recurring cyanobacteria blooms.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certified-organic farmland is not separately reported for Guatemala, and that is a certification gap rather than proof nothing is grown cleanly. What the official land record does show: 43% of the country is agricultural land and 14.5% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Guatemala are sugarcane, oil palm fruit, bananas and maize (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: MERCADO MUNICIPAL, Mercado Cantonal, Mercado Central de Guastatoya, Mercado Comunitario, Mercado El Limon, Mercado La Terminal. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
Is this grown in Guatemala?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
Maize tortillasBlack beansSquashChilliesPlantainAvocadoGrown through the milpa system
.
Maize tortillasBlack beansSquashChilliesPlantainAvocadoGrown through the milpa system
Guatemala runs one of Central America's lower carbon grids, with renewables supplying roughly half of electricity, led by hydropower at about 36 per cent plus biomass, geothermal, wind and solar. Per person emissions are very low at 1.08 tonnes of CO2 in 2024. The country has set a goal of 80 per cent renewable electricity by 2030 under its national plans. The score is held below the top band because coal, coke and fuel oil still supply close to a third of generation and have been growing.
What powers Guatemala?
Renewable 68.3%Fossil 31.7%
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
1.11 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
1.11 tonnes
The grid
Guatemala runs one of Central America's lower carbon grids, with renewables supplying roughly half of electricity, led by hydropower at about 36 per cent plus biomass, geothermal, wind and solar. Per person emissions are very low at 1.08 tonnes of CO2 in 2024.
Pollution
Air quality is moderate, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 24 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2017), well above WHO guidance. There is no national plastic ban, only municipal ones such as San Pedro La Laguna (2016), and the Motagua river is one of the most plastic choked in the world.
Water stress
Guatemala is rich in surface water, with hundreds of rivers, the crater lake of Atitlan and Lake Izabal fed by high rainfall, so raw supply is secure. Safety is the weak point, as only about 57% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2022), rural coverage is far lower and Lake Atitlan suffers recurring cyanobacteria blooms.
What pollutes most here
1The gridThe share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.28%
2IndustryNickel mining around Lake Izabal and export monoculture such as African palm and sugar, linked to deforestation and water conflict.named
3AirModelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.24.07
4On the recordAir quality is moderate, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 24 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2017), well above WHO guidance.
What has Guatemala promised on climate?
Electricity renewable today60.6% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target20.1% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target0.9% by 2025
Measured on delivery, 60.6% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 39.4% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year1.11 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy3.18 t CO2e
Dubai return, economy2.57 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy2.44 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy2.43 t CO2e
Frankfurt return, economy1.69 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Guatemala emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Guatemala.
Data centres
6
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
68.3 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in Guatemala?
A machine here runs mostly on renewables, but not entirely.
Renewable 68.3%Fossil 31.7%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 60.6% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Guatemala has 6 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Guatemala City (5), Puerto Barrios (1), alongside 2 internet exchanges (PIT - Guatemala, Guatemala City, IXP GT). Named sites include Cloud2Nube, KIO Guatemala 1 (GTM1), Datacenter Zona 15, Navégalo Data Center Guatemala (GT1).
Where the cables land. 2 landing points · Puerto Barrios, Puerto San Jose
88% residents to 12% visitors across a year. 2,560,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 18,687,881 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Guatemala
594k
Visitors a year
0.0
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Guatemala?· for every $100 Guatemala earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 2020 peak
$ 32The worst year on the IMF record. Guatemala owed $32 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2020signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 28What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 30The IMF's own forecast has this rising to $30 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Guatemala earns in a year, it owes $28 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Guatemala?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 2,560,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 18,687,881 residents, one visitor a year for every 7 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play
2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Guatemala is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published
3
The plate
Food is 17.4% of everything Guatemala imports (2024, World Bank), so a large part of every restaurant bill is paid to a supplier abroad. Eating what the land here actually grows, sugarcane, bananas, oil palm fruit, maize, cantaloupes/melons, potatoes, tomatoes, pineapples, keeps that money with the grower.
sails in
4
The power
60.6% of the electricity is renewable (2021, World Bank), so the energy on the bill is mostly generated inside the country rather than shipped in.
made at home
5
What actually stays
On the parts that can be measured, the plate leaves and the power stays. It is genuinely a coin toss, decided by what you book.
split
6
Pay the bank first
Guatemala owes $28 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$28 per $100
7
A spread hand
The largest single export, fruit and nuts, is 11.0% of the total (2023, UN Comtrade). No one shock can take the whole board.
top export 11.0%
8
Community chest
Tourism earns 2.3% of everything Guatemala makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
2.3% of exports
9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Singapore a return economy seat is 3.18 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
3.18 t CO2
10
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$129 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$129bn
GDPUS$123.3bn
Agriculture, share of GDP9.6%
Visitors a year594,000
Visitors per resident0
Residents~18,687,881
Agriculture
Farming is 9.6% of the economy. Guatemala is strongly agricultural, exporting coffee, sugar, bananas and cardamom, while smallholders grow most of the country's own maize and beans through the traditional milpa system.
Natural materials
Backstrap loom weaving is a living daily craft, with each highland town keeping its own patterns in cotton, ikat (jaspe) and plant dyes. Basketry and maguey fibre work continue alongside it.
Energy
Guatemala runs one of Central America's lower carbon grids, with renewables supplying roughly half of electricity, led by hydropower at about 36 per cent plus biomass, geothermal, wind and solar. Per person emissions are very low at 1.08 tonnes of CO2 in 2024.
Who owns the biggest hotels in Guatemala?
By rooms · company records and press.
Eco Hotel MayAchik · ~8 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
20151,865k
20161,906k
20172,120k
20182,406k
20192,560k
2020594k
International tourism receipts run at about US$0.30 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 2.3% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
All-inclusive resortForeign-owned hotel and tourist restaurantsLocally owned stay and local restaurantsGuesthouse, markets and public transport
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking maize tortillas, black beans, squash, chillies, plantain and avocado, grown through the milpa system over imported menus. The checked list →
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays. Eco tours →
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays →
4. Use the transport residents use Choose kitchens cooking what the land here grows, sugarcane, bananas, oil palm fruit, maize, cantaloupes/melons, potatoes, tomatoes and pineapples, over an imported menu.
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
swipe →
First time here
Guatemala pairs a young volcanic landscape and abundant highland water with one of Latin America's most intact living indigenous cultures, though weak conservation enforcement and river plastic pollution weigh on its record.
Best time: Dry season, November to April
Getting around
The everyday plate that actually grows here is sugarcane, bananas, oil palm fruit, maize, cantaloupes/melons, potatoes, tomatoes and pineapples. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate is maize tortillas, black beans, squash, chillies, plantain and avocado, grown through the milpa system. The everyday diet is built on maize tortillas, black beans, squash, chillies, plantain and avocado, an easy and largely whole food plant base.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cash-heavy; quetzales. Spanish helps a lot.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Eco Hotel MayAchik
.
Who owns the place to stay
Eco Hotel MayAchikIndependent · 8 rooms
The one property listed here does not publish who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Guatemala.
How well is Guatemala actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Guatemala scores 37 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That matters here because every pledge on this page is only as good as the machinery meant to deliver it.
How well is Guatemala run? · each scored out of 100, higher is better
Clean government, scored 29 of 100
Control of corruption scores 28.7 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is below the halfway mark of governments measured.
29
Freedom and rights, scored 49 of 100
Voice and accountability, which measures free expression, free media and the ability to choose a government, scores 48.6 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Citizens have some room to question their government.
49
Government effectiveness, scored 34 of 100
Government effectiveness, which measures the quality of public services and how well policy is actually delivered, scores 33.7 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Delivery is rated below average, so a pledge on paper is not the same as a pledge kept.
34
Income equality, scored 45 of 100
The Gini index of income inequality reads 45.2 (2023, World Bank). Zero is perfect equality and 100 is one person holding everything. Above 40 is the level usually treated as socially strained, and Guatemala sits above it.
45
LGBTQ+ status: LowSolo female travel: Take care82.1% adult literacyIndustry to avoid: Nickel mining around Lake Izabal and export monoculture such as African palm and sugar, linked to deforestation and water conflict
What is daily life in Guatemala really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Colourful chicken buses, which are repurposed US school buses, plus tourist shuttles between highland towns
✓Air quality, measured Modelled annual mean 24.07. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³.
✓Where the air is cleanest Highland cloud forests such as the Sierra de las Minas biosphere reserve
·Tap water Not drinkable
✓What to drink Bottled water; high-altitude towns can dehydrate you faster than you expect.
✓Plastic rules No national ban; several municipalities restrict single use plastics, led by San Pedro La Laguna in 2016
✓Sockets and voltage Type A/B, 120V
82.1%
literacy. Public spending on education runs at 3.1% of GDP and 17.3% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment stands at 49.6% gross (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2024 to 2025).
Made in Guatemala.
Backstrap loom weaving is a living daily craft, with each highland town keeping its own patterns in cotton, ikat (jaspe) and plant dyes. Basketry and maguey fibre work continue alongside it. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Guatemala actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Guatemala sells the world is fruit and nuts, 11.0% of all exports in 2023 (about US$1.57 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are knitted clothing at 9.7%, coffee, tea and spices at 9.3%, animal and vegetable fats and oils at 7.4%, sugar and sugar confectionery at 5.5%.
Sells now · 11.0% of exports
Fruit and nuts
Fruit and nuts is 11.0% of everything Guatemala sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$1.57 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 9.7% of exports
Knitted clothing
Knitted clothing is 9.7% of everything Guatemala sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$1.38 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 9.3% of exports
Coffee, tea and spices
Coffee, tea and spices is 9.3% of everything Guatemala sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$1.33 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 7.4% of exports
Animal and vegetable fats and oils
Animal and vegetable fats and oils is 7.4% of everything Guatemala sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$1.05 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 5.5% of exports
Sugar and sugar confectionery
Sugar and sugar confectionery is 5.5% of everything Guatemala sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$0.78 billion. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 16.7% of imports
Mineral fuels and oils
Guatemala imported US$5.06 billion of mineral fuels and oils in 2023, 16.7% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 8.8% of imports
Vehicles
Guatemala imported US$2.68 billion of vehicles in 2023, 8.8% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 7.9% of imports
Electrical machinery and electronics
Guatemala imported US$2.40 billion of electrical machinery and electronics in 2023, 7.9% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 7.9% of imports
Machinery and mechanical appliances
Guatemala imported US$2.39 billion of machinery and mechanical appliances in 2023, 7.9% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Guatemala produces about US$123 billion a year, which is roughly US$6,598 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 9.6% of that, while food is 17.4% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 14.5% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
A living tradition of Guatemala, still practised rather than archived.
Rabinal Achí Maya dance drama (UNESCO)
A living tradition of Guatemala, still practised rather than archived.
Baile de la Conquista
A living tradition of Guatemala, still practised rather than archived.
Palo Volador
A living tradition of Guatemala, still practised rather than archived.
Maya ancestral spirituality with Ajq'ij day-keepersA living tradition of Guatemala, still practised rather than archived.
260-day Cholq'ij calendarA living tradition of Guatemala, still practised rather than archived.
Does Guatemala protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Guatemala carries one of the Americas' deepest living indigenous heritages, rooted in more than twenty Maya peoples. Marimba music accompanies daily life, and traditional dance dramas endure, including the Rabinal Achí, a pre-Hispanic Maya dance drama recognised by UNESCO, the Baile de la Conquista and the Palo Volador. Maya ancestral spirituality remains widely practised through Ajq'ij day-keepers, ceremonies at sacred sites and the 260-day Cholq'ij calendar.
Who it belongs to. Around two in five Guatemalans are indigenous Maya, speaking more than twenty languages, and community run tourism thrives at Lake Atitlan, Chichicastenango and among the Caribbean Garifuna. Markets, weaving cooperatives and homestays keep money with local families.
Only here. Tikal, the towering Classic Maya city rising out of the Peten rainforest.
Three futures for Guatemala, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Choco Museum (Antigua Guatemala), Railway Museum Los Altos (Quetzaltenango), MURB art museum (Fraijanes), Museum gift shops (Flores), Azul Maya Archaeological Museum (Panajachel). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: Antigua en Bronce, El Mundo de las Manualidades, Galeria de Arte Naif Maya Tzutujil, Manualidades Sarita, San Martin De Porras.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
-22%
Forest cover
1995: 41.9 % → 2023: 32.6 %
-13%
Renewable electricity
1995: 69.9 % → 2021: 60.6 %
+68%
CO2 per person
1995: 0.66 t → 2024: 1.11 t
+6%
Tourist arrivals
1995: 563 k → 2020: 594 k
-37%
Protected land
2013: 31.7 % → 2025: 20.1 %
-18%
Farm workforce
1995: 35.5 % → 2025: 29.1 %
+12%
Protected sea
2013: 0.8 % → 2025: 0.9 %
+2%
Agricultural land
1995: 42.1 % → 2023: 43 %
+57%
Urban population
1995: 35.8 % → 2025: 56.3 %
-22%
Air pollution
1995: 37.8 µg/m³ → 2023: 29.7 µg/m³
-42%
Fresh water per person
1995: 10588.6 m³ → 2022: 6118.4 m³
+60%
Adult overweight
1995: 39.4 % → 2022: 63.2 %
+50%
Electricity access
1995: 60.8 % → 2024: 90.9 %
+364%
GDP per person
1995: 1421 → 2025: 6598
+81%
Population
1995: 10313 k → 2025: 18688 k
-4%
Renewable energy use
1995: 65 % → 2021: 62.1 %
+81%
Energy per person
1995: 516.5 kg → 2023: 934.9 kg
-35%
Protected area, total
2013: 15.7 % → 2025: 10.2 %
+14%
Life expectancy
1995: 63.7 yrs → 2024: 72.8 yrs
-5%
Cereal yield
1995: 1912 ha → 2023: 1822 ha
+43%
Fertiliser use
1995: 137.3 ha → 2023: 196.7 ha
-32%
Rural population
1995: 64.2 % → 2025: 43.7 %
+51%
Water productivity
2001: 15.6 $/m3 → 2022: 23.5 $/m3
+26%
Health spending
2000: 5.4 % → 2023: 6.8 %
-22%
Forest area
1995: 44952 km2 → 2023: 34930 km2
+160%
Electric power use
1995: 281.6 kWh → 2023: 733.1 kWh
+104%
Emissions: Agriculture
1990: 5.5 e → 2023: 11.2 e
+191%
Emissions: Building
1990: 3.35 e → 2023: 9.76 e
+1868%
Emissions: Electricity/Heat
1990: 0.25 e → 2023: 4.92 e
+353%
Emissions: Energy
1990: 6.2 e → 2023: 27.9 e
+369%
Emissions: Industrial Processes
1990: 0.45 e → 2023: 2.11 e
+221%
Emissions: Manufacturing/Construction
1990: 0.73 e → 2023: 2.34 e
+523%
Emissions: Transportation
1990: 1.8 e → 2023: 10.9 e
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 41.9% to 32.6% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 69.9% to 60.6% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 0.7 t to 1.1 t across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 563k to 594k across 25 recorded years.
World Bank ST.INT.ARVL
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 31.7% to 20.1% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.LND.PTLD.ZS
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 35.5% to 29.1% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 0.8% to 0.9% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 42.1% to 43.0% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 35.8% to 56.3% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 37.8 µg/m³ to 29.7 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 10588.6 m³ to 6118.4 m³ across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.H2O.INTR.PC
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 39.4% to 63.2% across 27 recorded years.
World Bank SH.STA.OWAD.ZS
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 60.8% to 90.9% across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 1421 to 6598 across 30 recorded years.
World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 10313k to 18688k across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.POP.TOTL
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 65% to 62.1% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 516.45 kg to 934.93 kg across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 15.7% to 10.2% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 63.66 yrs to 72.75 yrs across 29 recorded years.
World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 1912 kg/ha to 1822 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.YLD.CREL.KG
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 137.27 kg/ha to 196.65 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.CON.FERT.ZS
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 64.24% to 43.7% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 15.61 $/m3 to 23.54 $/m3 across 21 recorded years.
World Bank ER.GDP.FWTL.M3.KD
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 5.4% to 6.8% across 23 recorded years.
World Bank SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 44952 km2 to 34930 km2 across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.K2
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 281.59 kWh to 733.08 kWh across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 5.48 to 11.19 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 3.35 to 9.76 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 0.25 to 4.92 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 6.16 to 27.92 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 0.45 to 2.11 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 0.73 to 2.34 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have transportation emissions moved?
Transportation emissions moved from 1.75 to 10.91 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, pollution at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
Current path
Every line above is a recorded World Bank series for this country. The current path is simply those series continuing at the pace already measured.
Computed from: recorded series, no policy change assumed
Best case
The pledges are met on their own stated timetables and the weakest pillars are lifted to match the strongest. Guatemala already shows it can do this: natural fibres scores 5/5.
Computed from: each published target delivered on its own date
What the best case actually asks for
Lift pollution
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Guatemala's record. Air quality is moderate, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 24 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2017), well above WHO guidance. There is no national plastic ban, only municipal ones such as San Pedro La Laguna (2016), and the Motagua river is one of the most plastic choked in the world. Open burning of waste is common. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift recycling
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Guatemala's record. There is no comprehensive municipal recycling system and formal recovery rates are low, though an informal sector recovers some metal, glass and plastic. Much waste is burned or dumped. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift conservation
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Guatemala's record. Protected areas cover 20.1% of the land (World Bank, 2024), anchored by the vast Maya Biosphere Reserve, but only 0.8% of territorial waters are protected (World Bank, 2021). Enforcement is weak, with illegal logging, cattle ranching and fires eating into the reserve, so the headline figure overstates real protection. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Guatemala.
Who is in charge of Guatemala now · office-holders and institutions as published by the state itself; scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024
Bernardo Arévalo de León
President
Bernardo Arévalo de León is the head of government of Guatemala, in office since 15 January 2024. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government: 48.6 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Control of corruption: 28.7 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Political stability and absence of violence: 62.3 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Rule of law: 40.4 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Regulatory quality: 50 / 100. Exactly the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Bernardo Arévalo de LeónPresident
Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la República)Legislature, unicameral
Next electionJune 2027
Last election25 June 2023, with a runoff on 20 August 2023
Constitutioncurrent text dates from 1985
Government typepresidential republic
Guatemala national goals: what has been pledged, and how far it has got · each pledge measured against this country's own recorded delivery
2030
30% of land protected
! close
Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by more than 190 parties in December 2022. Guatemala currently protects 20.1% of its land, which is 67% of the way to the pledge. ↗
2030
30% of sea protected
✕ far behind
The marine half of the same 30x30 pledge. Guatemala currently protects 0.81% of its territorial waters, which is 3% of the way there. ↗
2030
Paris Agreement pledge
on record
Guatemala has a Nationally Determined Contribution lodged with the UNFCCC. The registry holds the current text, its target year and the sectors it covers. ↗
Plastic policy
no national ban
No national ban; several municipalities restrict single use plastics, led by San Pedro La Laguna in 2016.
Grid, as it stands
72% renewable
Recorded renewable share of electricity output, the number every energy pledge is measured against. ↗
Plain Answers About Guatemala.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
swipe →
Is Guatemala sustainable?
Guatemala scores 73 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. Guatemala pairs a young volcanic landscape and abundant highland water with one of Latin America's most intact living indigenous cultures, though weak conservation enforcement and river plastic pollution weigh on its record.
Is the water in Guatemala safe and plentiful?
Guatemala is rich in surface water, with hundreds of rivers, the crater lake of Atitlan and Lake Izabal fed by high rainfall, so raw supply is secure. Safety is the weak point, as only about 57% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2022), rural coverage is far lower and Lake Atitlan suffers recurring cyanobacteria blooms. Tap water is not safe for visitors.
Can Guatemala feed itself?
Guatemala is strongly agricultural, exporting coffee, sugar, bananas and cardamom, while smallholders grow most of the country's own maize and beans through the traditional milpa system. Staple self sufficiency is high even though grains such as wheat are imported. Forest still covers 32.6% of the land (World Bank, 2023).
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Guatemala?
The everyday diet is built on maize tortillas, black beans, squash, chillies, plantain and avocado, an easy and largely whole food plant base. Markets overflow with fresh produce, so eating unprocessed and plant forward is simple, though meat features at celebrations.
How much of Guatemala is actually protected?
Protected areas cover 20.1% of the land (World Bank, 2024), anchored by the vast Maya Biosphere Reserve, but only 0.8% of territorial waters are protected (World Bank, 2021). Enforcement is weak, with illegal logging, cattle ranching and fires eating into the reserve, so the headline figure overstates real protection.
What wildlife is left in Guatemala?
Guatemala straddles a biological crossroads, home to the resplendent quetzal, jaguar, Baird's tapir, scarlet macaw and howler monkeys, with notable cloud forest endemism. The Maya Biosphere and the Sierra de las Minas shelter much of this diversity.
Is Guatemala on clean energy?
Guatemala runs one of Central America's lower carbon grids, with renewables supplying roughly half of electricity, led by hydropower at about 36 per cent plus biomass, geothermal, wind and solar. Per person emissions are very low at 1.08 tonnes of CO2 in 2024. The country has set a goal of 80 per cent renewable electricity by 2030 under its national plans.
How polluted is Guatemala?
Air quality is moderate, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 24 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2017), well above WHO guidance. There is no national plastic ban, only municipal ones such as San Pedro La Laguna (2016), and the Motagua river is one of the most plastic choked in the world. Open burning of waste is common.
Does recycling work in Guatemala?
There is no comprehensive municipal recycling system and formal recovery rates are low, though an informal sector recovers some metal, glass and plastic. Much waste is burned or dumped.
Is the farming in Guatemala organic?
About 2.3% of agricultural land is certified organic (FiBL, 2020), placing Guatemala in the middle band. Much smallholder coffee and cardamom is grown with low inputs even where it is not certified.
Are there natural materials and craft in Guatemala?
Backstrap loom weaving is a living daily craft, with each highland town keeping its own patterns in cotton, ikat (jaspe) and plant dyes. Basketry and maguey fibre work continue alongside it.
Is there living culture in Guatemala?
Around two in five Guatemalans are indigenous Maya, speaking more than twenty languages, and community run tourism thrives at Lake Atitlan, Chichicastenango and among the Caribbean Garifuna. Markets, weaving cooperatives and homestays keep money with local families.
What heritage does Guatemala keep alive?
Guatemala carries one of the Americas' deepest living indigenous heritages, rooted in more than twenty Maya peoples. Marimba music accompanies daily life, and traditional dance dramas endure, including the Rabinal Achí, a pre-Hispanic Maya dance drama recognised by UNESCO, the Baile de la Conquista and the Palo Volador. Maya ancestral spirituality remains widely practised through Ajq'ij day-keepers, ceremonies at sacred sites and the 260-day Cholq'ij calendar.
So is Guatemala actually green? The measured answer
What is working: renewable electricity at 60.6%.
What is not: sea protected at 0.9% against a 30% mark.
Guatemala sits 16 of 77 at 73/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking →
What is Guatemala particularly good at?
✓Culture, scored 5/5. Around two in five Guatemalans are indigenous Maya, speaking more than twenty languages, and community run tourism thrives at Lake Atitlan, Chichicastenango and among the Caribbean Garifuna. Markets, weaving cooperatives and homestays keep money with local families.
✓Heritage, scored 5/5. Guatemala carries one of the Americas' deepest living indigenous heritages, rooted in more than twenty Maya peoples. Marimba music accompanies daily life, and traditional dance dramas endure, including the Rabinal Achí, a pre-Hispanic Maya dance drama recognised by UNESCO, the Baile de la Conquista and the Palo Volador. Maya ancestral spirituality remains widely practised through Ajq'ij day-keepers, ceremonies at sacred sites and the 260-day Cholq'ij calendar. Cofradía brotherhoods, living Mayan languages and backstrap loom weaving keep this heritage in everyday use.
✓Natural fibres, scored 5/5. Backstrap loom weaving is a living daily craft, with each highland town keeping its own patterns in cotton, ikat (jaspe) and plant dyes. Basketry and maguey fibre work continue alongside it.
Where does Guatemala score worst?
✕Water, scored 3/5. Guatemala is rich in surface water, with hundreds of rivers, the crater lake of Atitlan and Lake Izabal fed by high rainfall, so raw supply is secure. Safety is the weak point, as only about 57% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2022), rural coverage is far lower and Lake Atitlan suffers recurring cyanobacteria blooms. Tap water is not safe for visitors.
✕Pollution, scored 2/5. Air quality is moderate, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 24 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2017), well above WHO guidance. There is no national plastic ban, only municipal ones such as San Pedro La Laguna (2016), and the Motagua river is one of the most plastic choked in the world. Open burning of waste is common.
✕Recycling, scored 2/5. There is no comprehensive municipal recycling system and formal recovery rates are low, though an informal sector recovers some metal, glass and plastic. Much waste is burned or dumped.
Similar countries doing it better and worse
PanamaScored on the same twelve pillars as Guatemala.77
Costa RicaScored on the same twelve pillars as Guatemala.73
NicaraguaScored on the same twelve pillars as Guatemala.68
HondurasScored on the same twelve pillars as Guatemala.68
A note from the lens of mother natureswipe →
Energy, 4/5
Guatemala runs one of Central America's lower carbon grids, with renewables supplying roughly half of electricity, led by hydropower at about 36 per cent plus biomass, geothermal, wind and solar. Per person emissions are very low at 1.08 tonnes of CO2 in 2024.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Guatemala's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Food and farming, 4/5
Guatemala is strongly agricultural, exporting coffee, sugar, bananas and cardamom, while smallholders grow most of the country's own maize and beans through the traditional milpa system. Staple self sufficiency is high even though grains such as wheat are imported.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Guatemala's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Heritage, 5/5
Guatemala carries one of the Americas' deepest living indigenous heritages, rooted in more than twenty Maya peoples. Marimba music accompanies daily life, and traditional dance dramas endure, including the Rabinal Achí, a pre-Hispanic Maya dance drama recognised by UNESCO, the Baile de la Conquista and the Palo Volador.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Guatemala's record, so it is where the score moves first.
The Guatemala Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Guatemala, checked and listed.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Government effectiveness
33.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Rule of law
40.4 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Political stability
62.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Voice and accountability
48.6 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Environmental Performance Index
32.5 / 100 · 166 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 166 of 180 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
38.4 / 100 · 149 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 149 of 180 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
36.0 / 100 · 131 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 131 of 180 countries assessed.
Air pollution
49.8 / 100 · 142 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 142 of 180 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
66.6 / 100 · 62 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 62 of 180 countries assessed.
Marine protected areas
20.6 / 100 · 128 of 131
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 128 of 131 countries assessed.
How Guatemala Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Conservation
Land and sea actually protected, not pledged
02
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost
03
Water
Fresh water per person, and the ocean’s health
04
Food & farming
Whether the place can feed itself
05
Organic & clean
Certified land and pesticide reality
06
Climate & energy
Emissions per person, how the grid is powered
07
Waste
Where the rubbish goes, what comes back
08
Health
What people eat and die of
09
Heritage
Living culture, and what the law keeps standing
10
Ownership
Who owns the economy, how much of a dollar stays
11
Governance
Freedom, honesty, promises kept
12
Future
Measured trends run forward, pledges against pace
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
One index, every destination. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
