Guatemala vs Mexico
Guatemala vs Mexico: Adult literacy
Adult literacy in 2024: 82.1% in Guatemala and 95.6% in Mexico, by UNESCO estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Mexico, by 13.4 percentage points, or 1.16 times that in Guatemala.
% of adults · UNESCO
What the numbers say
- Mexico has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2002.
- The world as a whole: 87.7% in 2024.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | Guatemala | Mexico | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 82.1 | 95.6 | 87.7 |
| 2023 | 83 | 95.8 | 87.6 |
| 2022 | 83 | 95.1 | 87.4 |
| 2021 | – | 95.7 | 87.2 |
| 2020 | – | 95.3 | 87 |
| 2019 | – | 95.4 | 86.8 |
| 2018 | 80.8 | 95.4 | 86.8 |
| 2017 | – | 95 | 86.5 |
| 2016 | – | 94.9 | 86.3 |
| 2015 | 80.2 | 94.5 | 86 |
| 2014 | 81.3 | 94.6 | 85.6 |
| 2013 | 77 | 94 | 85.2 |
| 2012 | 78.3 | 94.2 | 84.9 |
| 2011 | – | 93.5 | 84.7 |
| 2010 | – | 93.1 | 84.4 |
| 2009 | – | 93.4 | 83.8 |
| 2008 | – | 92.9 | 83.5 |
| 2007 | – | 92.8 | 83.1 |
| 2006 | – | 91.7 | 82.5 |
| 2005 | – | 91.6 | 82.6 |
| 2004 | – | 91 | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | – | 82.2 |
| 2002 | 69.1 | 90.3 | 81.7 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | – | 90.5 | 81.1 |
| 1999 | – | – | 80.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 80.5 |
| 1997 | – | – | 79.3 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1995 | – | – | 76.9 |
| 1994 | 64.2 | – | 76.4 |
| 1993 | – | – | 76 |
| 1992 | – | – | 75.5 |
| 1991 | – | – | 75.1 |
| 1990 | – | 87.6 | 74.6 |
| 1989 | – | – | 74.1 |
| 1988 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 71.9 |
| 1986 | – | – | 71.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 70.7 |
| 1984 | – | – | 70.2 |
| 1983 | – | – | 69.5 |
| 1982 | – | – | 68.9 |
| 1981 | – | – | 68.4 |
| 1980 | – | 83 | 67.8 |
| 1979 | – | – | 67.2 |
| 1978 | – | – | 66.5 |
| 1977 | – | – | 65.9 |
| 1976 | – | – | 65.6 |
| 1975 | – | – | 65.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life.
- Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via the World Bank.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Guatemala vs Mexico
Health
- Life expectancyGuatemala: 72.6 years in 2023Mexico: 75.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGuatemala: 2.1 per 100 live births in 2024Mexico: 1.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGuatemala: 17.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Mexico: 10.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterGuatemala: 56.3% in 2022Mexico: 43% in 2022
- DepressionGuatemala: 3.22% in 2017Mexico: 2.79% in 2017
- Suicide rateGuatemala: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017Mexico: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGuatemala: 18.1 million people in 2023Mexico: 130 million people in 2023
- Population growthGuatemala: 1.55% a year in 2023Mexico: 0.88% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGuatemala: 2.31 births per woman in 2023Mexico: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGuatemala: 56.3% in 2025Mexico: 80% in 2025
- Median ageGuatemala: 22.6 years in 2023Mexico: 28.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGuatemala: 4.7% in 2023Mexico: 8% in 2023
- Net migration rateGuatemala: -0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023Mexico: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGuatemala: 0.52% of GDP in 2025Mexico: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGuatemala: $617M in 2025Mexico: $13.8B in 2025
- Military spending per personGuatemala: $34 in 2025Mexico: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGuatemala: 3.5% of government spending in 2025Mexico: 2.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelGuatemala: 43,000 people in 2020Mexico: 341,000 people in 2020
- National powerGuatemala: 0.09% of world capability in 2022Mexico: 1.14% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGuatemala: 0.64% of the labour force in 2020Mexico: 0.64% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGuatemala: 6 million TIV in 2023Mexico: 9 million TIV in 2025