Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Guatemala

Guatemala: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) was 1.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
1.7%
Change on year
up 21.0%
World rank
163rd
of 181 countries
All-time high
3.6%
in 1990
All-time low
1.4%
in 2024
Years of data
25
1981–2025

Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Guatemala, 1981–2025

012341981200320251981: 2.21982: 2.31987: 2.81989: 1.51990: 3.62000: 2.22002: 2.12003: 2.52004: 2.82006: 1.52010: 3.32011: 2.92012: 2.42013: 2.72014: 2.42015: 22016: 2.12017: 1.92018: 22019: 1.82021: 1.82022: 2.22023: 1.92024: 1.42025: 1.7

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

In 2025, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Guatemala stood at 1.7%.

That represents a change of up 21.0% on the previous year and down 14.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Guatemala peaked at 3.6% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2024.

That places Guatemala 163rd out of 181 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Guatemala, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Guatemala, 1981 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1981 2.2% —
1982 2.3% +5.7%
1987 2.8% +21.6%
1989 1.5% -44.4%
1990 3.6% +130.1%
2000 2.2% -38.4%
2002 2.1% -4.2%
2003 2.5% +17.0%
2004 2.8% +11.7%
2006 1.5% -43.9%
2010 3.3% +114.3%
2011 2.9% -13.6%
2012 2.4% -17.2%
2013 2.7% +12.8%
2014 2.4% -11.6%
2015 2.0% -15.8%
2016 2.1% +6.3%
2017 1.9% -8.8%
2018 2.0% +4.3%
2019 1.8% -9.5%
2021 1.8% -1.5%
2022 2.2% +20.1%
2023 1.9% -10.0%
2024 1.4% -27.2%
2025 1.7% +21.0%

Guatemala compared with similar countries

  • Guatemala's 1.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.4%, 32% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
  • Guatemala's 1.7% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 5.2%, 33% of the median. (35 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Guatemala changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1990 +130.1% 1.5% 3.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 2.2% 1.5% 2.8% 4
1990s 3.6% 3.6% 3.6% 1
2000s 2.2% 1.5% 2.8% 5
2010s 2.3% 1.8% 3.3% 10
2020s 1.8% 1.4% 2.2% 5

Countries ranked near Guatemala

  1. 160 Russia 2.0% compare
  2. 161 Benin 1.9% compare
  3. 162 Togo 1.8% compare
  4. 164 Vietnam 1.6% compare
  5. 165 Oman 1.6% compare
  6. 166 Cuba 1.6% compare

See the full ranking of 205 places →

More work & labour data for Guatemala

All data for Guatemala →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Guatemala?
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Guatemala was 1.7% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Guatemala?
The highest recorded value was 3.6% in 1990.
What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Guatemala?
The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2024.
How does Guatemala rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
Guatemala ranks 163rd out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Guatemala?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Guatemala data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Guatemala. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-male-percent-of-male-labor-force-national-estimate/guatemala/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
205 places, 5,453 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.