Demographics of Guatemala
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
According to the CIA World Fact Book, Mestizos (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and Europeans comprise 59.4% of the population and Amerindians comprise 40.5% of the population (K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1%). CIA World Fact Book.[1]
Most of Guatemala's population is not rural, though urbanization is accelerating. The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism, once the main faith of the population, into which many indigenous Guatemalans have incorporated traditional forms of worship. Protestantism and traditional Maya religions are practiced by an estimated 40% and 1% of the population, respectively.
Though the official language is Spanish, it is often the second language among the indigenous population. However, the Peace Accords signed in December 1996 provide for the translation of some official documents and voting materials into several indigenous languages (see summary of main substantive accords).
Racial stratification is complex and fluid in Guatemalan politics, culture and identity. Guatemala City, the largest city in Central America, is home to over 6 million inhabitants - nearly half of Guatemala's population.
Other racial groups include small numbers of black Africans and Garifuna of mixed African and indigenous Caribbean origins who live in the country's Eastern end. Asians, mostly of Chinese descent are descendants of farm workers and railroad laborers in the early 20th century. And thousands who are Middle Easterner descendants: Arabs, Greeks, Lebanese, Palestinians, Syrians and Turks came to Guatemala after World War I.
In 1900, Guatemala had a population of just 885,000 [2]. Over the course of the twentieth century, the population of the country grew by a factor of fourteen. No other western hemisphere country saw such rapid growth.{ This has brought on difficulties for Guatemala as more people puts pressure in the nation's economic progress in a country where 70% live in dire poverty, and political stability was weakened by an inability to have effective population growth programs.
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Over a million Guatemalan emigrants went to the US in the 1980s and 1990's for a better life, the largest national subgroup of Central Americans in the US followed by Hondurans, Nicaraguans and Salvadorans. The largest population of Guatemalans is in Los Angeles, but there are also established Guatemalan communities in Dallas, Houston, Miami, New York city, San Diego, San Francisco area, and Washington, DC. There are also Guatemalan immigrants living abroad in Canada, Europe, Australia, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Egypt.
Population: 12,728,111 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.8% (male 2,641,179/female 2,556,397)
15-64 years: 55.5% (male 3,426,376/female 3,642,157)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 213,801/female 248,201) (2007 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.152% (2007 est.)
Birth rate: 29.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate: 5.27 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.033 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.941 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.861 male(s)/female
total population: 0.974 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 29.77 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.69 years
male: 67.94 years
female: 71.52 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Guatemalan(s)
adjective: Guatemalan
Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European Including Arabics 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census)
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs
Languages: Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiché, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca).
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.03%
male: 79.89%
female: 72.54% (2002 census)
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