Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Guatemala instead of Peru, you would:
Health
live 5.2 years less
In Peru, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
have 24.1% fewer doctors per person
Peru has 16.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Guatemala has 12.8 as of 2020.
have 16.9% less access to essential health services
Peru scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guatemala scores 59 as of 2021.
be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Peru has a suicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guatemala, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 49.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Peru, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guatemala, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Peru, 25.7% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Guatemala, however, that number is 56.0% as of 2023.
make 31.9% less money
Peru has a GDP per capita of $9,684 as of 2025, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 30.9% more children
In Peru, there are approximately 15.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guatemala, there are 20.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 84.3% more likely to die during childbirth
In Peru, approximately 51.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Guatemala, 94.0 women do as of 2023.
be 12.3% less likely to be literate
In Peru, the literacy rate is 93.7% as of 2024. In Guatemala, it is 82.1% as of 2024.
be 56.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Peru, approximately 11.0 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.
Basic Needs
be 26.5% less likely to have internet access
In Peru, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Guatemala, about 60.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 29.4% less on education
Peru spends 4.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 20.6% more on healthcare
Peru spends 5.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 83.4% less coastline
Peru has a total of 2,414 km of coastline. In Guatemala, that number is 400 km.
Safety
be 2.7 times more likely to be murdered
Peru has a homicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guatemala, that number is 23.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 54.3% less home broadband
Peru has 11.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Guatemala has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 18.8% more strain on fresh water
Peru withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guatemala withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 54.0% less electricity
Peru uses 1,595 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Guatemala uses 733 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 45.0% less CO2
Peru emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guatemala emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 53.8% more likely to die from air pollution
In Peru, air pollution causes 26.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Guatemala, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Peru vs. Guatemala
Guatemala: At a glance
How big is Guatemala compared to Peru? See an in-depth size comparison.