Forcibly displaced people in Guatemala
Guatemala: Forcibly displaced people was 578,674 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Forcibly displaced people in Guatemala, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in Guatemala is 578,674, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 130.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Guatemala peaked at 578,674 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 137, in 2010.
That places Guatemala 45th out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Forcibly displaced people in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 137 | — |
| 2011 | 153 | +11.7% |
| 2012 | 162 | +5.9% |
| 2013 | 242,168 | +149386.4% |
| 2014 | 249,257 | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 251,345 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 257,295 | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 242,388 | -5.8% |
| 2018 | 242,631 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 243,039 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 243,226 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 245,418 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 244,220 | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 576,040 | +135.9% |
| 2024 | 577,676 | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 578,674 | +0.2% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 578,674 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 61,510, 9.4× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 578,674 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15,910, 36.4× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forcibly displaced people 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | +149386.4% | 162 | 242,168 |
| 2023 | +135.9% | 244,220 | 576,040 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 172,858 | 137 | 257,295 | 10 |
| 2020s | 410,876 | 243,226 | 578,674 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 42 Mali 696,037 compare
- 43 Chile 674,696 compare
- 44 Azerbaijan 663,588 compare
- 46 Cambodia 518,028 compare
- 47 Central African Republic 490,761 compare
- 48 Mozambique 489,077 compare
More social development data for Guatemala
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,586 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 34,994 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0019 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 34,994 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forcibly displaced people in Guatemala?
- Forcibly displaced people in Guatemala was 578,674 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 578,674 in 2025.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 137 in 2010.
- How does Guatemala rank for forcibly displaced people?
- Guatemala ranks 45th out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 130.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Guatemala data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Forcibly displaced people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.