What share of people in Retalhuleu are in formal employment?

That is 8.7 IGSS contributors for every 100 residents of Retalhuleu, against 9.3 nationally, 6th highest of 22 (IGSS 2024; INE population projection for mid-2024).

Economy, jobs and prices in Retalhuleu, Guatemala: official figures

55.3% of households in Retalhuleu had an improved source of drinking water in 2023, 2nd lowest of 22 departments.

GDP per capita 2024

Q45,129

2024

Workers contributing to IGSS

33,946

2024

Average IGSS contribution salary

Q4,637

2024

How many households in Retalhuleu have improved sanitation?

61.5% of households in Retalhuleu had improved sanitation in 2023, 9th lowest of 22.

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

How many households in Retalhuleu have electricity?

92.8% of households in Retalhuleu were connected to the electricity grid in 2023, 6th highest of 22.

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

What is the GDP of Retalhuleu?

Banguat puts the GDP of Retalhuleu at Q17,683 million in 2024 at current prices, 2.0% of the national Q878,387 million, 9th lowest of 22 departments (preliminary).

Source: Banco de Guatemala (Banguat) · saved copy

What is the GDP per capita in Retalhuleu?

GDP per person in Retalhuleu was Q45,129 in 2024 against Q49,228 nationally, 7th highest of 22 departments (Banguat, preliminary).

Source: Banco de Guatemala (Banguat) · saved copy

How fast is income per person growing in Retalhuleu?

GDP per person in Retalhuleu rose 39.1% between 2019 and 2024 at current prices, from Q32,439 to Q45,129 (national: 37.6%).

Source: Banco de Guatemala (Banguat) · saved copy

How fast is the economy of Retalhuleu growing?

After adjusting for prices, GDP in Retalhuleu grew 4.7% in 2024 (national: 3.7%), joint 3rd fastest of 22.

Source: Banco de Guatemala (Banguat) · saved copy

Has the economy of Retalhuleu grown since 2013?

Real GDP in Retalhuleu was 45.2% higher in 2024 than in 2013 (national: 46.9%); its share of national GDP moved from 2.1% in 2013 to 2.0% in 2024.

Source: Banco de Guatemala (Banguat) · saved copy

How many people in Retalhuleu have formal jobs?

33,946 workers in Retalhuleu contributed to the IGSS social security institute in 2024, 2.0% of the 1,659,137 nationally, 10th highest of 22 departments.

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

Is formal employment growing in Retalhuleu?

The number of IGSS contributors in Retalhuleu rose 36.9% between 2019 and 2024, from 24,793 to 33,946 (national: 22.8%), 9th fastest of 22.

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

How has the number of formal workers in Retalhuleu changed since 2012?

Since 2012 the number of IGSS contributors in Retalhuleu has gone from 15,765 to 33,946, a change of 115% (national: 40%).

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

How many registered employers are there in Retalhuleu?

460 employers in Retalhuleu were registered as IGSS contributors in 2024, an average of 74 contributing workers per employer (national: 45).

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

What is the average salary in Retalhuleu?

The average contribution salary of IGSS workers in Retalhuleu was Q4,637 in 2024 (national: Q5,681), 3rd lowest of 22 departments.

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

How much do formal workers in Retalhuleu earn in total?

Salaries declared to IGSS for Retalhuleu totalled Q1,889 million in 2024, 1.7% of the national total, 10th lowest of 22.

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

Are wages in Retalhuleu higher than the national average?

IGSS contributors in Retalhuleu had an average salary below the national average by Q1,044 in 2024, while GDP per person was 92% of the national level.

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

How Retalhuleu compares with other departments

GDP (million quetzales, current prices) (2024)

Retalhuleu ranks 14 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	GDP (million quetzales, current prices)
11	Suchitepequez	Q23,389m
12	Sacatepequez	Q20,323m
13	Jutiapa	Q18,283m
14	Retalhuleu	Q17,683m
15	Santa Rosa	Q17,533m
16	Zacapa	Q15,652m
17	Chiquimula	Q13,606m

Source: Banco de Guatemala (Banguat) · saved copy

GDP per capita (quetzales) (2024)

Retalhuleu ranks 7 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	GDP per capita (quetzales)
4	Zacapa	Q56,184
5	Izabal	Q54,310
6	Sacatepequez	Q49,030
7	Retalhuleu	Q45,129
8	Quetzaltenango	Q40,239
9	Peten	Q39,334
10	Santa Rosa	Q37,948

Source: Banco de Guatemala (Banguat) · saved copy

Real GDP growth 2024 (2024)

Retalhuleu ranks 4 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	Real GDP growth 2024
1	Sacatepequez	5.2%
2	Totonicapan	4.9%
3	Solola	4.7%
4	Retalhuleu	4.7%
5	Guatemala	4.5%
6	Chimaltenango	4.5%
7	Chiquimula	4.4%

Source: Banco de Guatemala (Banguat) · saved copy

Workers contributing to IGSS social security (2024)

Retalhuleu ranks 10 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	Workers contributing to IGSS social security
7	San Marcos	40,747
8	Peten	38,081
9	Suchitepequez	37,783
10	Retalhuleu	33,946
11	Huehuetenango	33,872
12	Chimaltenango	32,428
13	Zacapa	28,061

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

IGSS contributors per 100 residents (2024)

Retalhuleu ranks 6 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	IGSS contributors per 100 residents
3	Sacatepequez	10.6
4	Zacapa	10.1
5	Izabal	9.6
6	Retalhuleu	8.7
7	Quetzaltenango	7.4
8	El Progreso	6.7
9	Suchitepequez	6.0

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

Growth in IGSS contributors 2019-2024 (2019-24)

Retalhuleu ranks 9 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	Growth in IGSS contributors 2019-2024
6	Chimaltenango	38.1%
7	Quiche	37.8%
8	El Progreso	37.1%
9	Retalhuleu	36.9%
10	Solola	36.0%
11	Sacatepequez	35.4%
12	Jalapa	34.2%

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

Average IGSS contribution salary (quetzales) (2024)

Retalhuleu ranks 20 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	Average IGSS contribution salary (quetzales)
16	Izabal	Q5,004
17	Zacapa	Q4,992
18	Peten	Q4,787
19	Suchitepequez	Q4,686
20	Retalhuleu	Q4,637
21	Escuintla	Q4,535
22	Sacatepequez	Q4,478

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

IGSS payroll (million quetzales) (2024)

Retalhuleu ranks 13 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	IGSS payroll (million quetzales)
10	Suchitepequez	Q2,125m
11	Chimaltenango	Q1,973m
12	Quiche	Q1,925m
13	Retalhuleu	Q1,889m
14	Zacapa	Q1,681m
15	Chiquimula	Q1,375m
16	Jutiapa	Q1,339m

Source: Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) · saved copy

Households with improved drinking water (ENCOVI) (2023)

Retalhuleu ranks 21 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	Households with improved drinking water (ENCOVI)
16	Peten	69.3%
17	Santa Rosa	67.1%
18	San Marcos	67.0%
19	Suchitepequez	65.5%
20	Escuintla	56.8%
21	Retalhuleu	55.3%
22	Alta Verapaz	50.8%

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

Households with improved sanitation (ENCOVI) (2023)

Retalhuleu ranks 14 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	Households with improved sanitation (ENCOVI)
11	Chiquimula	65.8%
12	Izabal	65.2%
13	Chimaltenango	62.4%
14	Retalhuleu	61.5%
15	Jalapa	52.7%
16	Huehuetenango	52.2%
17	Baja Verapaz	50.7%

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

Households connected to the electricity grid (ENCOVI) (2023)

Retalhuleu ranks 6 of 22, highest first.

Rank	Region	Households connected to the electricity grid (ENCOVI)
3	Solola	95.8%
4	Chimaltenango	94.2%
5	Quetzaltenango	93.0%
6	Retalhuleu	92.8%
7	Totonicapan	92.7%
8	Escuintla	91.7%
9	Suchitepequez	91.7%

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

More on Retalhuleu: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · 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…)
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…)

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