Consular Offices - Guatemala
276 Park Avenue South, 2nd Floor.
Nueva York, NY 10010
E-Mail: consnewyork@minex.gob.gt
Phone: (844) 805-1011
2220 R Street NW (205.22 mi).
Washington D.C. 20008
Phone: (202) 745-4953
Address: Avenida Reforma 7-01.
Zona 10. Guatemala.
Ciudad, Guatemala.
Phone: (502) 2326-4000
Fax: (502) 2326-4654
An estimated 1.4 million Hispanics of Guatemalan origin lived in the United States in 2017, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Guatemalans in this statistical profile are people who self-identified as Hispanics of Guatemalan origin; this includes immigrants from Guatemala and those who trace their family ancestry to Guatemala.
Guatemalans are the sixth-largest population of Hispanic origin living in the United States, accounting for 2% of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2017. Since 2000, the Guatemalan-origin population has increased 255%, growing from 406,000 to 1.4 million over the period. At the same time, the Guatemalan foreign-born population living in the U.S. grew by 171%, from 319,000 in 2000 to 864,000 in 2017. By comparison, Mexicans, the nation’s largest Hispanic origin group, constituted 36.6 million, or 62%, of the Hispanic population in 2017.
Immigration status
- Among Hispanics in the U.S., about 33% are foreign-born, compared with 60% of U.S. Guatemalans.
- About 33% of foreign-born Guatemalans have been in the U.S. for over 20 years, and 27% of foreign-born Guatemalans are U.S. citizens.
Educational attainment
- About 16% of U.S. Hispanics ages 25 and older have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 10% of Guatemalans.
- Among Guatemalans ages 25 and older, U.S.-born are more likely than the foreign-born to have a bachelor’s degree or higher (26% vs. 8%).
Income
- Among U.S. Hispanics, the median annual personal earnings for those ages 16 and older was $25,000, compared with $23,000 for Guatemalans.
- Looking at full-time, year-round workers, U.S. Hispanics earned more than Guatemalans ($34,000 vs. $28,800).
Poverty status
- The share of U.S. Hispanics who live in poverty (19%) is lower than among Guatemalans (24%).
- About 28% of U.S.-born Guatemalans live in poverty, as do 22% of foreign-born Guatemalans.
Homeownership
- The rate of homeownership among U.S. Hispanics (47%) is higher than the rate for Guatemalans overall (32%).
- Among Guatemalans in the U.S., rates of homeownership are higher for the U.S.-born than foreign-born (40% vs. 31%).
Top states of residence
- The Guatemalan population is concentrated in California (29%), Florida (8%), and Texas (7%).
Age
- The median age of U.S. Hispanics (29) is similar to that of Guatemalans (28) and lower than that of the U.S. population (38).
Marital status
- About 46% of U.S. Hispanics and Guatemalans ages 18 and older are married.
- Among Guatemalans ages 18 and older, those who are foreign-born are more likely to be married than the U.S.-born (52% vs. 25%).
Fertility
- Some 7% of U.S. Hispanic women ages 15 to 44 gave birth in the 12 months before the July 2017 American Community Survey. The rate for Guatemalan women was 8%.
Language
- About 70% of U.S. Hispanics ages 5 and older speak only English at home or speak English at least “very well,” compared with 48% of Guatemalans.
- Similarly, 64% of Hispanic adults are English proficient, as are 38% of Guatemalan adults.
“Facts on Hispanics of Guatemalan origin in the United States, 2017.” Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. (September 16, 2019).