Country profile

Guatemala

Latin America & Caribbean Upper middle income18.41M inhabitants

Last updated April 1, 2026

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Composite GEFRI Score

Severely underprepared

Guatemala is severely underprepared (25th 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.

32.18Composite score
Global percentile
25th
Global rank
#133
Regional rank
#25
Viewing data for
Infrastructure
60.28
34th percentileGlobal avg. 59.93
Human Capital
35.31
24th percentileGlobal avg. 47.03
Innovation
25.60
15th percentileGlobal avg. 42.53
Governance
34.72
32nd percentileGlobal avg. 47.71
Access & Parity
5.00
33rd percentileGlobal avg. 43.89

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.

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.

Regionally, School Access and Gender Parity lags peers the most, signalling where investment could have the highest impact.

Note: Several indicators use imputed values. Policymakers and planners should validate results further before committing to major initiatives.

Key insights

  • Falls below many peers at the 25th percentile.
  • Places 133rd worldwide.
  • Holds a regional position of 25th within Latin America & Caribbean .
  • Scores range from Infrastructure (60.3) to Access & Parity (5.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.
  • Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.

Regional peers: Latin America & Caribbean

Composite GEFRI score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
321Chile69.22
412Argentina63.46
453Uruguay61.84
——BarbadosMicrostate61.53
——Cayman IslandsMicrostate60.64
——St. Kitts and NevisMicrostate59.49
——Antigua and BarbudaMicrostate58.12
614Peru57.90
——GrenadaMicrostate56.27
——Turks and Caicos IslandsMicrostate55.44
735Colombia55.23
756Mexico54.99
797Cuba53.32
818Puerto Rico (US)53.10
869Dominican Republic51.42
——DominicaMicrostate51.11
8810Ecuador51.07
8911Brazil51.03
——St. LuciaMicrostate50.66
9312Bolivia50.30
9413Costa Rica50.00
——St. Vincent and the GrenadinesMicrostate49.59
——ArubaMicrostate48.98
——British Virgin IslandsMicrostate48.56
——St. Martin (French part)Microstate47.36
10014Jamaica46.92
——CuracaoMicrostate46.80
——Sint Maarten (Dutch part)Microstate46.76
——Virgin Islands (U.S.)Microstate46.46
10115Panama46.26
10216Bahamas, The46.13
10317Belize44.33
10418Trinidad and Tobago43.67
10519Paraguay43.39
11120Venezuela, RBFCS39.80
11821El Salvador37.88
12022Guyana37.09
12323Suriname35.94
13024Honduras33.08
13325Guatemala32.18
13926Nicaragua30.15
16127HaitiFCS22.72