Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Guatemala, you would:
Health
live 6.1 years longer
In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 14.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Guatemala spends $935 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 2.9 times more doctors per person
Guatemala has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 45.8% more access to essential health services
Guatemala scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 46.4% more likely to be obese
In Guatemala, 28.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Guatemala has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 13.6 times more money
Guatemala has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 61.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Guatemala, 2.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 81.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Guatemala, approximately 94.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 68.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Guatemala, approximately 17.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 48.6% fewer children
In Guatemala, there are approximately 20.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 57.2% more likely to have internet access
In Guatemala, approximately 60.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 76.0% more on education
Guatemala spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 2.5 times more on healthcare
Guatemala spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 49.8 times more coastline
Guatemala has a total of 400 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 75.4% less likely to be murdered
Guatemala has a homicide rate of 23.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 12.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Guatemala, road accidents kill 12.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 7.3 times more home broadband
Guatemala has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 17.5 times more electricity
Guatemala uses 733 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 4.9 times more strain on fresh water
Guatemala withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 65.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Guatemala, air pollution causes 40.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.3 times more CO2
Guatemala emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Guatemala vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.