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Guatemala

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Did you know

Guatemala has 22 Mayan languages, plus Xinca, Garifuna and Spanish. (source)

Elders in numbers

of people are 65 or older
5%
people aged 65 or older
927.5K
will be 65 or older in 2050
9.6%
is how long people live after 60, on average
19.1 years
of people 65+ live alone
7.1%
women 7.9%, men 6.2%
of people 65+ live in collective quarters: care homes, hospitals, hostels and the like
0.3%

Sources: World Bank, 2025; World Bank projection for 2050; WHO, 2023; UN, 2015; UN, 2002 census

Compare with the world

Languages

31 languages, 25 of them endangered

  • Mocho’Critically endangered
  • Itza’Severely endangered
  • AkatekoDefinitely endangered
  • Cauque MayanDefinitely endangered
  • Ch’orti’Definitely endangered
  • Guatemalan Sign LanguageDefinitely endangered
  • PoqomamDefinitely endangered
  • SakapultekDefinitely endangered
  • SipakapaDefinitely endangered
  • TektitekDefinitely endangered
  • UspantekDefinitely endangered
  • AchiVulnerable
Show all 31
  • AwakatekVulnerable
  • ChujVulnerable
  • IxilVulnerable
  • JakaltekVulnerable
  • K’iche’Vulnerable
  • KaqchikelVulnerable
  • MamVulnerable
  • Mopan MayaVulnerable
  • Nebaj Shared Homesign SystemsVulnerable
  • Poqomchi'Vulnerable
  • Q’anjob’alVulnerable
  • Q’eqchi’Vulnerable
  • Tz’utujilVulnerable
  • English
  • Francisco León Zoque
  • Garifuna
  • Spanish
  • Yucatec Maya
  • Meemul Ch'aab'al

Languages and their status: Glottolog v5.3, CC BY 4.0. Names: Wikidata.

UNESCO intangible heritage

List and years: ich.unesco.org

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