Population in the largest city in Guatemala
Guatemala: Population in the largest city was 30.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population in the largest city in Guatemala, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in the largest city in Guatemala stood at 30.7%.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Guatemala peaked at 50.9% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 30.7%, in 2024.
That places Guatemala 73rd out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 46.7% | — |
| 1961 | 47.0% | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 47.3% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 47.8% | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 48.1% | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 47.8% | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 47.6% | -0.5% |
| 1967 | 47.3% | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 47.2% | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 47.1% | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 47.2% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 47.4% | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 47.7% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 47.9% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 47.8% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 48.2% | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 48.8% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 49.6% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 50.3% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 50.7% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 50.9% | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 50.8% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 50.7% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 50.6% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 50.2% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 49.8% | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 49.4% | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 48.9% | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 48.4% | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 47.9% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 47.3% | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 46.8% | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 46.3% | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 45.7% | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 45.2% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 44.8% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 43.8% | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 42.6% | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 41.3% | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 40.0% | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 39.0% | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 38.2% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 37.8% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 37.4% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 37.0% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 36.6% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 36.3% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 35.9% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 35.7% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 35.0% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 34.4% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 33.8% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 33.3% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 32.8% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 32.4% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 32.1% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 31.8% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 31.6% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 31.4% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 31.2% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 31.0% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 30.9% | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 30.8% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 30.7% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 30.7% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 30.7% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 47.4% | 46.7% | 48.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 48.6% | 47.2% | 50.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.8% | 47.9% | 50.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.4% | 40.0% | 47.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.9% | 35.0% | 39.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.5% | 31.2% | 34.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.8% | 30.7% | 31.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
More urban development data for Guatemala
- Population density 169.14 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 29.68 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1728 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 3.23 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 2.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 28.88 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 3.23 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0.45 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 65.87 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in the largest city in Guatemala?
- Population in the largest city in Guatemala was 30.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 50.9% in 1980.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.7% in 2024.
- How does Guatemala rank for population in the largest city?
- Guatemala ranks 73rd out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guatemala data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.