Share of children who are stunted vs. GDP per capita in Guatemala
Guatemala: Share of children who are stunted vs. GDP per capita was 46.0% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Share of children who are stunted vs. GDP per capita in Guatemala, 1987–2021
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Guatemala recorded 46.0% for share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita in Guatemala peaked at 62.2% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 46.0%, in 2021.
Guatemala ranks 5th of 97 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Share of children who are stunted vs. GDP per capita in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 62.2% | — |
| 1995 | 55.4% | -10.9% |
| 1999 | 53.1% | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 51.0% | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 54.8% | +7.5% |
| 2009 | 51.5% | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 46.7% | -9.3% |
| 2021 | 46.0% | -1.5% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 46.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10.5%, 4.4× the median. (27 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 46.0% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.6%, 3.7× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 62.2% | 62.2% | 62.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 54.2% | 53.1% | 55.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 52.4% | 51.0% | 54.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 46.7% | 46.7% | 46.7% | 1 |
| 2020s | 46.0% | 46.0% | 46.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 2 Yemen 48.5% compare
- 3 Niger 47.7% compare
- 4 East Timor 46.7% compare
- 6 Democratic Republic of Congo 44.7% compare
- 7 Afghanistan 44.6% compare
- 8 Madagascar 39.8% compare
More economy & growth data for Guatemala
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.43 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.86 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 865.22 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0076 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 47.01 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 1.85 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 11.98 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0163 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 100.4 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 34.17 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita in Guatemala?
- Share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita in Guatemala was 46.0% in 2021, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 62.2% in 1987.
- What is the lowest share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.0% in 2021.
- How does Guatemala rank for share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita?
- Guatemala ranks 5th out of 97 countries with data for 2021.
- Is share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guatemala data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who are stunted vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of children who are stunted – significantly shorter than the average for their age. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.