Poverty and living standards in Quiche, Guatemala: official figures

86.4% of people in Quiche lived in poverty in the 2023 ENCOVI (national: 56.0%), 2nd highest of 22 departments.

Poverty rate (ENCOVI 2023)

86.4%

2023

What is the extreme poverty rate in Quiche?

34.4% of people in Quiche lived in extreme poverty in 2023 (national: 16.2%), 4th highest of 22.

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copy

How deep is poverty in Quiche?

The 2023 ENCOVI puts the poverty gap in Quiche at 42.1%, 2nd 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 copy

How severe is poverty in Quiche?

The poverty severity index in Quiche was 24.0% in 2023, 3rd highest of 22 departments; it gives more weight to households furthest below the poverty line.

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copy

How unequal is Quiche?

The Gini coefficient of consumption in Quiche was 0.32 in 2023, joint 4th least unequal of 22.

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copy

How many poor people in Quiche are in extreme poverty?

Extreme poverty accounts for 40% of the poverty rate in Quiche; in the country as a whole the share is 29% (ENCOVI 2023).

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copy

How Quiche compares with other departments

Poverty rate (ENCOVI) (2023)

Quiche ranks 2 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%

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copy

Extreme poverty rate (ENCOVI) (2023)

Quiche ranks 4 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%

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copy

Poverty gap (ENCOVI) (2023)

Quiche ranks 2 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%

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copy

Gini coefficient of consumption (ENCOVI) (2023)

Quiche ranks 19 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	Gini coefficient of consumption (ENCOVI)
16	Jutiapa	0.33
17	Santa Rosa	0.32
18	Totonicapan	0.32
19	Quiche	0.32
20	Suchitepequez	0.31
21	San Marcos	0.31
22	Retalhuleu	0.30

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copy

More on Quiche: 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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