Unemployment rate in Guatemala
Guatemala: Unemployment rate was 2.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rate in Guatemala, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Guatemala recorded 2.6% for unemployment rate in 2025.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Guatemala peaked at 3.5% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1999.
That places Guatemala 161st out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.2% | — |
| 1992 | 2.2% | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 2.1% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 2.1% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 2.1% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 2.2% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 2.1% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 2.1% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 2.1% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 2.3% | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 2.3% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 2.8% | +24.5% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | +5.8% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 3.0% | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 2.8% | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 2.9% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 3.2% | +11.1% |
| 2010 | 3.5% | +8.6% |
| 2011 | 3.2% | -9.4% |
| 2012 | 2.8% | -12.7% |
| 2013 | 3.0% | +9.1% |
| 2014 | 2.7% | -9.9% |
| 2015 | 2.5% | -7.8% |
| 2016 | 2.6% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 2.5% | -4.7% |
| 2018 | 2.3% | -7.3% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 3.0% | +35.2% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | -26.7% |
| 2022 | 3.1% | +40.3% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | -23.2% |
| 2024 | 2.6% | +11.5% |
| 2025 | 2.6% | -0.3% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 2.6% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.6%, 46% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 2.6% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.0%, 43% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +40.3% | 2.2% | 3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.1% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 2.2% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.2% | 3.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 158 South Korea 2.7% compare
- 159 Guinea-Bissau 2.7% compare
- 159 Mexico 2.7% compare
- 162 Papua New Guinea 2.6% compare
- 163 Japan 2.5% compare
- 164 Macao 2.3% compare
More work & labour data for Guatemala
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.3404 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.3121 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.3683 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6261 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.73 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 18,121 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 8,847 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 13,041 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 12,871 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 25,912 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Guatemala?
- Unemployment rate in Guatemala was 2.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 3.5% in 2010.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1999.
- How does Guatemala rank for unemployment rate?
- Guatemala ranks 161st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Guatemala data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.