Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America with a GDP per capita roughly half the average for Latin America and the Caribbean. The agricultural sector accounts for 13.5% of GDP and 31% of the labor force; key agricultural exports include sugar, coffee, bananas, and vegetables. Guatemala is the top remittance recipient in Central America as a result of Guatemala's large expatriate community in the US. These inflows are a primary source of foreign income, equivalent to two-thirds of the country's exports and about a tenth of its GDP.
The 1996 peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala has since pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. The Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force in July 2006, spurring increased investment and diversification of exports, with the largest increases in ethanol and non-traditional agricultural exports. While CAFTA-DR has helped improve the investment climate, concerns over security, the lack of skilled workers, and poor infrastructure continue to hamper foreign direct investment.
The distribution of income remains highly unequal with the richest 20% of the population accounting for more than 51% of Guatemala's overall consumption. More than half of the population is below the national poverty line, and 23% of the population lives in extreme poverty. Poverty among indigenous groups, which make up more than 40% of the population, averages 79%, with 40% of the indigenous population living in extreme poverty. Nearly one-half of Guatemala's children under age five are chronically malnourished, one of the highest malnutrition rates in the world.
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | |
| GNI, Atlas method (current US$) (billions) | 8.44 | 19.4 | 38.99 | 75.71 |
| GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$) | 930 | 1,670 | 2,730 | 4,490 |
| GNI, PPP (current international $) (billions) | 29.18 | 54.53 | 91.98 | 146.6 |
| GNI per capita, PPP (current international $) | 3,220 | 4,700 | 6,450 | 8,700 |
| GDP (current US$) (billions) | 7.65 | 19.29 | 40.68 | 77.6 |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 3.1 | 3.6 | 2.9 | -1.5 |
| Inflation, GDP deflator (annual %) | 40.5 | 6.8 | 5.1 | 2.6 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP) | 26 | 23 | 11 | 10 |
| Industry (including construction), value added (% of GDP) | 20 | 20 | 27 | 22 |
| Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) | 21 | 20 | 26 | 17 |
| Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) | 25 | 29 | 37 | 25 |
| Gross capital formation (% of GDP) | 14 | 18 | 14 | 13 |
| Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) | 7.9 | 10.2 | 11.3 | 11.2 |
| Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) | -1.9 | -1.8 | -3.4 | -2.2 |
| States and markets | ||||
| Time required to start a business (days) | .. | 41 | 36 | 15 |
| Domestic credit provided by financial sector (% of GDP) | .. | 27.7 | 37.1 | 47.9 |
| Tax revenue (% of GDP) | 6.9 | 10.1 | 10.6 | 10.5 |
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) | 0 | 7.4 | 123.5 | 113.8 |
| Individuals using the Internet (% of population) | 0 | 0.7 | 10.5 | 50 |
| High-technology exports (% of manufactured exports) | .. | .. | 6 | 6 |
| Statistical Capacity Score (Overall Average) (scale 0 - 100) | .. | .. | 86 | 73 |
| Global links | ||||
| Merchandise trade (% of GDP) | 37 | 41 | 55 | 38 |
| Net barter terms of trade index (2000 = 100) | 115 | 100 | 204 | 236 |
| External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) (millions) | 2,911 | 3,948 | 15,043 | 25,136 |
| Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) | 15.4 | 9.7 | 16.1 | 22 |
| Net migration (thousands) | -367 | -281 | -50 | -46 |
| Personal remittances, received (current US$) (millions) | 119 | 596 | 4,225 | 11,405 |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) (millions) | 48 | -789 | 1,102 | 853 |
| Net official development assistance received (current US$) (millions) | 185.9 | 260.7 | 402.1 | 393.9 |
