If you lived in Guatemala instead of Paraguay, you would:

Health

be 19.3% less likely to be obese

In Paraguay, 34.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.

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be 22.3% less likely to die by suicide

Paraguay has a suicide rate of 6.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guatemala, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 1.2 years less

In Paraguay, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 36.3% less spent on your healthcare

Paraguay spends $1,469 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Guatemala spends $935 as of 2023.

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have 67.1% fewer doctors per person

Paraguay has 38.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Guatemala has 12.8 as of 2020.

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have 18.1% less access to essential health services

Paraguay scores 72 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guatemala scores 59 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 45.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Paraguay, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guatemala, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.

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be 3.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Paraguay, 16.0% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Guatemala, however, that number is 56.0% as of 2023.

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Life

be 62.1% more likely to die during childbirth

In Paraguay, approximately 58.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Guatemala, 94.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 13.4% less likely to be literate

In Paraguay, the literacy rate is 94.9% as of 2024. In Guatemala, it is 82.1% as of 2024.

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be 18.6% more likely to die during infancy

In Paraguay, approximately 14.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Guatemala, on the other hand, 17.2 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 26.2% less likely to have internet access

In Paraguay, approximately 81.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Guatemala, about 60.2% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 12.7% less on education

Paraguay spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 18.7% less on healthcare

Paraguay spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 40.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Paraguay, road accidents kill 21.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Guatemala, they kill 12.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 3.4 times more likely to be murdered

Paraguay has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 23.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 58.5% less home broadband

Paraguay has 12.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Guatemala has 5.3 as of 2024.

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live with 3.1 times more strain on fresh water

Paraguay withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guatemala withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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use 69.3% less electricity

Paraguay uses 2,389 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Guatemala uses 733 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 60.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In Paraguay, air pollution causes 25.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Guatemala, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Guatemala: At a glance

Guatemala is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 107,159 sq km. The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict, which had left more than 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, about 1 million refugees.
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How big is Guatemala compared to Paraguay? See an in-depth size comparison.

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