Guatemala’s literacy rate was 80.8% for people aged 15 and over in the 2018 census: 85.3% of men and 76.7% of women could read and write, according to the national statistics institute, INE. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics figure for 2024, published by the World Bank, is 82.1%. Literacy is highest among young people (94.6% of those aged 15 to 24) and reaches only 49.1% of people aged 65 and over, and it ranges from 93.5% in the department of Guatemala to 64.5% in Quiché.
In short: Adults (15+), 2018 census: 80.8%. Everyone 7+, 2018 census: 81.5% (up from 64.6% in 1994 and 71.2% in 2002). UNESCO/World Bank, 2024: 82.1%. Women 76.7% and men 85.3% (15+). Lowest departments: Quiché 64.5%, Alta Verapaz 66.2%, Huehuetenango 70.6%.
Two census figures: 80.8% and 81.5%
INE published the 2018 literacy results for two age groups, so both figures are correct:
| Measure | Population | Literate | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| People aged 15 and over | 9,928,561 | 8,023,338 | 80.8% |
| People aged 7 and over | 12,528,937 | 10,215,017 | 81.5% |
Source: INE, Resultados del XII Censo Nacional de Población y VII de Vivienda, Cuadros 16 and 17.
The World Bank’s adult literacy indicator also covers ages 15 and above, and its value for Guatemala in 2018 is 80.81%, the same as INE’s.
What counts as literate. The 2018 census counted as literate a person able to read and write a letter or a complete paragraph, and as illiterate someone who could only write their name, a few loose words or numbers. The question was asked of everyone aged 7 and over, in every census. The World Bank’s definition is close but not identical: people aged 15 and above who can read and write, with understanding, a short simple statement about their everyday life.
Three censuses, 1994 to 2018
People aged 7 and over who could read and write:
| Census | All | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 64.6% | 70.5% | 59.0% |
| 2002 | 71.2% | 76.1% | 66.6% |
| 2018 | 81.5% | 85.0% | 78.3% |
Source: INE, 2018 census results, Cuadro 16.
INE points out that between 2002 and 2018 women’s literacy rose by 12 percentage points and men’s by 9, so the gap between the sexes narrowed from 10 points to 7.
Literacy by age
People aged 15 and over who could read and write, by age group (INE, Gráfico 11; the age bands are as INE prints them):
| Age group | 1994 | 2002 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 to 24 | 76.0% | 82.2% | 94.6% |
| 24 to 49 | 63.3% | 69.5% | 81.8% |
| 50 to 64 | 47.0% | 49.7% | 64.8% |
| 65 and over | 41.7% | 40.6% | 49.1% |
| All 15 and over | 64.2% | 69.1% | 80.8% |
In 2018 more than half of people aged 65 and over could not read and write, while about one in twenty people aged 15 to 24 could not.
Literacy by department
People aged 15 and over who could read and write in 2018, ordered from highest to lowest overall rate (our ordering of INE’s Cuadro 17; the gap column is our subtraction):
| Department | All | Men | Women | Gap (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | 93.5% | 95.7% | 91.5% | 4.2 |
| Sacatepéquez | 90.0% | 93.8% | 86.4% | 7.4 |
| Escuintla | 86.7% | 89.3% | 84.1% | 5.2 |
| El Progreso | 86.6% | 88.0% | 85.2% | 2.8 |
| Santa Rosa | 85.6% | 87.6% | 83.6% | 4.0 |
| Chimaltenango | 84.2% | 89.2% | 79.7% | 9.5 |
| Quetzaltenango | 83.5% | 88.6% | 79.3% | 9.3 |
| Retalhuleu | 83.4% | 88.1% | 79.1% | 9.0 |
| Zacapa | 81.9% | 83.1% | 80.7% | 2.4 |
| Izabal | 81.4% | 83.9% | 79.1% | 4.8 |
| Jutiapa | 81.2% | 83.9% | 78.9% | 5.0 |
| Suchitepéquez | 80.6% | 86.3% | 75.3% | 11.0 |
| San Marcos | 78.5% | 84.3% | 73.3% | 11.0 |
| Jalapa | 78.4% | 82.5% | 74.8% | 7.7 |
| Petén | 78.1% | 80.4% | 75.9% | 4.5 |
| Baja Verapaz | 73.7% | 80.2% | 67.9% | 12.3 |
| Chiquimula | 73.1% | 74.8% | 71.7% | 3.1 |
| Sololá | 71.9% | 78.3% | 66.4% | 11.9 |
| Totonicapán | 71.8% | 80.4% | 64.9% | 15.5 |
| Huehuetenango | 70.6% | 78.3% | 64.0% | 14.3 |
| Alta Verapaz | 66.2% | 74.1% | 58.6% | 15.5 |
| Quiché | 64.5% | 72.7% | 57.4% | 15.3 |
| Whole country | 80.8% | 85.3% | 76.7% | 8.6 |
Source: INE, 2018 census results, Cuadro 17 (population aged 15 and over).
In every department, men’s literacy is higher than women’s, INE notes, and in Quiché and Alta Verapaz fewer than 60% of women aged 15 and over can read and write. The gap between men and women is above the national 8.6 points in Totonicapán (15.5), Alta Verapaz (15.5) and Quiché (15.3), with Huehuetenango at 14.3, Baja Verapaz at 12.3 and Sololá at 11.9.
Reading and writing in Spanish and English
The 2018 census asked literate people aged 7 and over in which languages they read and write, up to three per person. Of the 10,215,017 literate people, 10,080,653 read and write Spanish, as a main or second language, and 222,432 said they read and write English, mostly as a second language. Which languages Guatemalans speak at home, and whether Spanish is enough for a visitor, is on our languages of Guatemala page.
The UNESCO figure after 2018
Since the census, the adult literacy series that the World Bank publishes from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) gives:
| Year | Adult literacy rate, ages 15+ |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 80.8% |
| 2022 | 83.0% |
| 2023 | 83.0% |
| 2024 | 82.1% |
Source: World Bank, indicator SE.ADT.LITR.ZS (data from UIS), last updated 11 November 2026; rounded to one decimal. Earlier values in the same series, 64.2% for 1994 and 69.1% for 2002, match INE’s census figures for ages 15 and over.
The World Bank record does not say which survey supplied each year after 2018 or why the 2024 value is lower than 2023’s, so treat the 2022-2024 figures as UNESCO’s series and the 2018 figures as INE’s census count.
For the country’s population figures, see our Guatemala population page; for income and poverty measures, see is Guatemala a poor country. Whether Guatemalans count as Hispanic or Latino under US federal standards is on is Guatemala Hispanic or Latino.
Sources
- INE, Resultados del XII Censo Nacional de Población y VII de Vivienda, section 4 (Educación), Cuadros 16 and 17 and Gráfico 11, censo2018.ine.gob.gt, read 12 November 2026.
- World Bank, Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above), Guatemala, data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, data.worldbank.org, read 12 November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the literacy rate of Guatemala?
80.8% of people aged 15 and over could read and write in Guatemala’s 2018 census (INE). The UNESCO Institute for Statistics series published by the World Bank gives 82.1% for 2024. Counting everyone aged 7 and over, the census figure is 81.5%.
What is the literacy rate for women in Guatemala?
76.7% of women aged 15 and over were literate in the 2018 census, against 85.3% of men, a gap of 8.6 points. The gap is widest in Totonicapán and Alta Verapaz (15.5 points each) and Quiché (15.3). In Quiché and Alta Verapaz, fewer than 60% of women aged 15 and over can read and write.
Which department of Guatemala has the lowest literacy rate?
Quiché, where 64.5% of people aged 15 and over were literate in 2018, followed by Alta Verapaz (66.2%) and Huehuetenango (70.6%). The department of Guatemala had the highest rate, 93.5%, followed by Sacatepéquez (90.0%) and Escuintla (86.7%).
Is literacy improving in Guatemala?
Yes, in each census. Among people aged 7 and over the literate share went from 64.6% in 1994 to 71.2% in 2002 and 81.5% in 2018. Literacy is far higher among the young: 94.6% of 15- to 24-year-olds were literate in 2018, against 49.1% of people aged 65 and over.
How does Guatemala's census define literacy?
INE counted as literate a person able to read and write a letter or a complete paragraph. Someone who could only write their name, a few loose words or numbers was counted as illiterate. The question was asked of everyone aged 7 and over.
How many Guatemalans can read and write English?
222,432 people aged 7 and over said in the 2018 census that they read and write English, mostly as a second language. 10,080,653 read and write Spanish, as a main or second language.
