Poverty and living standards in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala: official figures
90.3% of people in Alta Verapaz lived in poverty in the 2023 ENCOVI (national: 56.0%), the highest of 22 departments.
What is the extreme poverty rate in Alta Verapaz?
58.5% of people in Alta Verapaz lived in extreme poverty in 2023 (national: 16.2%), the highest of 22.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copyHow deep is poverty in Alta Verapaz?
The 2023 ENCOVI puts the poverty gap in Alta Verapaz at 54.2%, the highest of 22 departments; the gap measures how far the average poor household falls below the poverty line.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copyHow severe is poverty in Alta Verapaz?
The poverty severity index in Alta Verapaz was 36.4% in 2023, the highest of 22 departments; it gives more weight to households furthest below the poverty line.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copyHow unequal is Alta Verapaz?
The Gini coefficient of consumption in Alta Verapaz was 0.38 in 2023, joint 3rd most unequal of 22.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copyHow many poor people in Alta Verapaz are in extreme poverty?
Extreme poverty accounts for 65% of the poverty rate in Alta Verapaz; in the country as a whole the share is 29% (ENCOVI 2023).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copyHow Alta Verapaz compares with other departments
Poverty rate (ENCOVI) (2023)
Alta Verapaz ranks 1 of 22, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Poverty rate (ENCOVI) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alta Verapaz | 90.3% |
| 2 | Quiche | 86.4% |
| 3 | Huehuetenango | 81.3% |
| 4 | Baja Verapaz | 80.1% |
| 5 | Jalapa | 79.9% |
| 6 | Santa Rosa | 74.0% |
| 7 | Jutiapa | 74.0% |
Extreme poverty rate (ENCOVI) (2023)
Alta Verapaz ranks 1 of 22, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Extreme poverty rate (ENCOVI) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alta Verapaz | 58.5% |
| 2 | Baja Verapaz | 35.8% |
| 3 | Jalapa | 34.5% |
| 4 | Quiche | 34.4% |
| 5 | Huehuetenango | 29.7% |
| 6 | Chiquimula | 25.3% |
| 7 | Jutiapa | 18.8% |
Poverty gap (ENCOVI) (2023)
Alta Verapaz ranks 1 of 22, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Poverty gap (ENCOVI) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alta Verapaz | 54.2% |
| 2 | Quiche | 42.1% |
| 3 | Jalapa | 40.6% |
| 4 | Baja Verapaz | 40.0% |
| 5 | Huehuetenango | 37.0% |
| 6 | Jutiapa | 31.3% |
| 7 | Santa Rosa | 29.0% |
Gini coefficient of consumption (ENCOVI) (2023)
Alta Verapaz ranks 3 of 22, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Gini coefficient of consumption (ENCOVI) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chiquimula | 0.44 |
| 2 | Zacapa | 0.41 |
| 3 | Alta Verapaz | 0.38 |
| 4 | Izabal | 0.38 |
| 5 | Jalapa | 0.38 |
| 6 | Guatemala | 0.37 |
| 7 | Baja Verapaz | 0.37 |
More on Alta Verapaz: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · Guatemala
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE): Encuesta Nacional de Condiciones de Vida (ENCOVI) 2023: Poverty and inequality (departmental maps for poverty, extreme poverty, poverty gap and severity, Gini, water, sanitation, electricity), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 df15ab3fe8b7…)
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