Guatemala
Last updated February 1, 2026
Composite GEFRI Score
Severely underprepared
Guatemala is severely underprepared (24th percentile worldwide). Key structural conditions limit capacity to plan, implement, and sustain forward-looking reforms. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.
- Global percentile
- 24th
- Global rank
- #135
- Regional rank
- #25
- Viewing data for
Country profile
Guatemala trails global peers in Human Capital (35, 24th percentile) and Innovation (26, 15th percentile). A coordinated reform effort is needed to strengthen education futures readiness.
All or most indicators are based on observed data, giving planners a dependable evidence base for decisions. Uneven scores across dimensions highlight areas that need targeted coordination. Low internet adoption slows digital participation and constrains system-wide modernization. Literacy or tertiary enrollment gaps thin the talent pipeline and limit the country’s capacity to develop future-ready skills.
Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.
Infrastructure presents a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning. Regionally, School Access and Gender Parity lags peers the most, signalling where investment could have the highest impact.
Key insights
- Falls below many peers at the 24th percentile.
- Places 135th worldwide.
- Holds a regional position of 25th within Latin America & Caribbean .
- Scores range from Infrastructure (53.0) to Access & Parity (10.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.
- Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.
Regional peers: Latin America & Caribbean
Composite GEFRI score
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 1 | Chile | 69.50 |
| 42 | 2 | Argentina | 63.66 |
| 45 | 3 | Costa Rica | 62.89 |
| 47 | 4 | Uruguay | 62.23 |
| — | — | Cayman IslandsMicrostate | 60.38 |
| — | — | Antigua and BarbudaMicrostate | 57.67 |
| 63 | 5 | Peru | 57.45 |
| — | — | St. Kitts and NevisMicrostate | 56.38 |
| — | — | GrenadaMicrostate | 56.28 |
| — | — | Turks and Caicos IslandsMicrostate | 55.09 |
| 76 | 6 | Colombia | 55.01 |
| 77 | 7 | Mexico | 54.66 |
| 79 | 8 | Brazil | 54.12 |
| 83 | 9 | Cuba | 52.99 |
| 85 | 10 | Puerto Rico (US) | 52.67 |
| — | — | BarbadosMicrostate | 52.47 |
| — | — | DominicaMicrostate | 52.34 |
| — | — | CuracaoMicrostate | 52.11 |
| 89 | 11 | Ecuador | 50.85 |
| — | — | St. LuciaMicrostate | 50.63 |
| 91 | 12 | Dominican Republic | 50.59 |
| 94 | 13 | Bolivia | 50.07 |
| 98 | 14 | Bahamas, The | 48.94 |
| — | — | ArubaMicrostate | 47.65 |
| — | — | Sint Maarten (Dutch part)Microstate | 47.32 |
| 101 | 15 | Jamaica | 47.03 |
| — | — | St. Vincent and the GrenadinesMicrostate | 46.98 |
| 102 | 16 | Belize | 46.55 |
| — | — | St. Martin (French part)Microstate | 46.35 |
| 103 | 17 | Panama | 46.27 |
| — | — | Virgin Islands (U.S.)Microstate | 46.26 |
| — | — | British Virgin IslandsMicrostate | 45.57 |
| 106 | 18 | Paraguay | 44.53 |
| 109 | 19 | Trinidad and Tobago | 42.48 |
| 114 | 20 | Venezuela, RBFCS | 39.06 |
| 120 | 21 | El Salvador | 37.18 |
| 121 | 22 | Suriname | 36.88 |
| 123 | 23 | Guyana | 36.78 |
| 133 | 24 | Honduras | 32.94 |
| 135 | 25 | Guatemala | 31.74 |
| 145 | 26 | Nicaragua | 28.87 |
| 165 | 27 | HaitiFCS | 21.75 |