Quetzaltenango: population, poverty, jobs, income, health, literacy and GDP

Quetzaltenango is a department of Guatemala, number 6 of 22 by population. INE projects the population of Quetzaltenango at 974,752 on 30 June 2026, 6th largest of 22 departments and 5.3% of the 18,312,373 projected nationally.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Quetzaltenango: 81.4% of households in Quetzaltenango had an improved source of drinking water in 2023, 7th highest of 22 departments.
• Health in Quetzaltenango: 48.8% of children under five in Quetzaltenango had chronic malnutrition (low height for age) in the 2014-2015 ENSMI (national: 46.5%), 11th highest of 22 departments.
• Education in Quetzaltenango: 83.5% of people aged 15 and over in Quetzaltenango could read and write in the 2018 census (national: 80.8%), 7th highest of 22 departments.
• Poverty and living standards in Quetzaltenango: 44.1% of people in Quetzaltenango lived in poverty in the 2023 ENCOVI (national: 56.0%), 4th lowest of 22 departments.

How departments are governed in Guatemala

Regions (8). Regional development council chaired by a presidential representative. Planning only; no elected government.

Every tier of government in Guatemala

Other departments of Guatemala

• Guatemala 3,755,757
• Huehuetenango 1,533,735
• Alta Verapaz 1,482,083
• San Marcos 1,271,974
• Quiche 1,173,669
• Escuintla 854,115
• Chimaltenango 808,669
• Peten 666,257
• Suchitepequez 646,587
• Jutiapa 580,689
• Totonicapan 528,065
• Solola 507,638
• Chiquimula 476,362
• Izabal 474,800
• Santa Rosa 471,823
• Jalapa 432,547
• Sacatepequez 426,324
• Retalhuleu 401,613
• Baja Verapaz 360,693
• Zacapa 283,788
• El Progreso 200,433

Up a level: Guatemala · government and power in Guatemala

Sources

• Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Censo 2018: Censo de Población y Vivienda 2018: age by literacy (can read and write) by department and sex, Redatam table (INE data, copy published by CONALFA), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 794d5a4775c7…)
• 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…)
• Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social (MSPAS), INE and SEGEPLAN: Encuesta Nacional de Salud Materno Infantil (ENSMI) 2014-2015, Informe de indicadores básicos: tables by department, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d61241c32152…)
• Banco de Guatemala (Banguat): Cuentas regionales y departamentales anuales: Producto Interno Bruto por departamento 2013-2024 (current quetzales and chained volume, reference year 2013; preliminary), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5b2e9ad0dee9…)
• Banco de Guatemala (Banguat): Cuentas regionales y departamentales anuales: Producto Interno Bruto per cápita por departamento 2013-2024 (quetzales; preliminary), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 673dd87343cf…)
• Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS): El IGSS en cifras 2024: contributing affiliates, payroll and average salary by department (B2.1, C5), employers by department (C17.3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d61a33487068…)
• Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE): Estimaciones y proyecciones de población 2010-2050 by department (revision 2019-2020, based on the 2018 census; population at 30 June), 22 workbooks, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d4425fe8f96c…)

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