Guatemala

BACKGROUND

The government in Guatemala has taken extensive actions to attempt to curb the transmission of COVID-19 to reduce the human and economic impact. The majority of Guatemalans are living in rural communities with limited healthcare and sanitation infrastructure which compounds the dangers of COVID-19. The U.S government has given Guatemala $8.4 million in assistance funds $6 million of which is going strictly to water, sanitation, and hygiene work. The IMF has approved a $594 million-dollar request to help cover the rising costs of responding to COVID-19 in Guatemala.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

  • 2019 GDP annual growth rate*: 3.85%
  • Projected 2020 GDP*: -2.0%
  • Projected 2020 inflation*: 1.8%
  • Rural population distribution**: 48.2%
  • Poverty rate**: 59.3%

COVID-19 UPDATES

As of 12/10/2020

  • Total confirmed cases: 124,805
  • Total deaths: 4,224
  • New cases in the last week: 3,673

Source: Johns Hopkins Corona Virus Resource Center

SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS

  • Total population***: 17,153,288
  • Age distribution**: Majority young
  • Gender ratio**: 0.99 males/females
  • Mortality rate***: 4.738/1,000
  • Official language**: Spanish
  • # of ethnolinguistic groups**: 6

PROJECT OUTCOMES

  • Reached the final phase of the process (i.e., production) in partnership with Engineers Without Borders

* Source: International Monetary Fund

** Source: CIA Factbook

*** Source: World Bank