Rural population in Guatemala
Guatemala: Rural population was 43.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Guatemala, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Guatemala is 43.7%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Guatemala peaked at 68.2% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 43.7%, in 2025.
Guatemala ranks 81st of 217 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 68.2% | — |
| 1961 | 67.6% | -0.8% |
| 1962 | 67.2% | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 66.7% | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 66.3% | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 65.9% | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 65.5% | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 65.0% | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 64.6% | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 64.3% | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 64.0% | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 63.8% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 63.6% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 63.6% | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 63.8% | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 64.3% | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 64.9% | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 65.6% | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 66.3% | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 66.8% | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 67.2% | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 67.3% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 67.3% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 67.2% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 67.1% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 67.0% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 66.9% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 66.7% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 66.5% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 66.3% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 66.1% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 65.8% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 65.6% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 65.3% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 64.9% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 64.2% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 63.1% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 61.7% | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 60.1% | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 58.4% | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 56.8% | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 55.3% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 54.2% | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 53.4% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 52.7% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 51.9% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 51.2% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 50.5% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 49.9% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 49.3% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 48.7% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 48.1% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 47.6% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 47.2% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 46.9% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 46.6% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 46.3% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 46.2% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 46.2% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 45.8% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 45.5% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 45.1% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 44.7% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 44.4% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 44.0% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 43.7% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 66.1% | 64.3% | 68.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 64.7% | 63.6% | 66.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 67.0% | 66.3% | 67.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.5% | 58.4% | 66.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.5% | 49.3% | 56.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.0% | 45.8% | 48.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.6% | 43.7% | 45.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 78 Philippines 44.2% compare
- 79 Slovenia 44.0% compare
- 80 Liberia 43.9% compare
- 82 British Virgin Islands 42.6% compare
- 83 Croatia 42.2% compare
- 84 Azerbaijan 41.4% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Guatemala
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.71 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0955 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 630.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.437 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 9.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 9.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Guatemala?
- Rural population in Guatemala was 43.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 68.2% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.7% in 2025.
- How does Guatemala rank for rural population?
- Guatemala ranks 81st out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guatemala data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.