Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Guatemala
Guatemala: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 31.1% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Guatemala, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Guatemala is 31.1%, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Guatemala peaked at 31.4% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 12.0%, in 1950.
That places Guatemala 136th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 12.0% | — |
| 1955 | 13.2% | +10.7% |
| 1960 | 14.5% | +9.8% |
| 1965 | 15.8% | +9.0% |
| 1970 | 17.8% | +12.6% |
| 1975 | 18.7% | +4.7% |
| 1980 | 21.1% | +12.9% |
| 1985 | 21.2% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 22.8% | +7.6% |
| 1995 | 25.2% | +10.4% |
| 2000 | 27.4% | +8.6% |
| 2005 | 29.0% | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 30.8% | +6.0% |
| 2015 | 31.4% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 31.1% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12.6% | 12.0% | 13.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 15.2% | 14.5% | 15.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 18.2% | 17.8% | 18.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 21.1% | 21.1% | 21.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 24.0% | 22.8% | 25.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 28.2% | 27.4% | 29.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 31.1% | 30.8% | 31.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 31.1% | 31.1% | 31.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 133 South Sudan 31.8% compare
- 134 Switzerland 31.7% compare
- 135 Turkmenistan 31.4% compare
- 137 Bulgaria 31.0% compare
- 138 Chad 31.0% compare
- 139 Romania 30.9% compare
More population data for Guatemala
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.3404 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.3709 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.3404 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3291 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 24,601 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.37 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6834 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.3% (2100)
- Population density 241.81 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.24 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Guatemala?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Guatemala was 31.1% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 31.4% in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.0% in 1950.
- How does Guatemala rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Guatemala ranks 136th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Guatemala data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.