• Guatemala

  

• Population

  16.6 Million

• Pop. Under 5

  2 Million

• % Stunting

  47% Of Children Under 5

• % Underweight

  13% Of Children Under 5

Photo credit: Hector Santos/USAID

Malnutrition in childhood and pregnancy has many adverse consequences for child survival and long-term well-being. It also has far-reaching consequences for human capital, economic productivity, and national development overall. The consequences of malnutrition should be a significant concern for policymakers in Guatemala, since Guatemala has the sixth-highest rate of chronic malnutrition (stunting or low height-for-age) in the world—at 47 percent–with the prevalence reaching around 70 percent in Totonicapán, Quiche, and Huehuetenango—indigenous areas of Guatemala according to the 2014–15 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS).

USAID Programs: Accelerating Progress in Nutrition

As of January 2018, the following USAID programs with a focus on nutrition were active in Guatemala. The U.S. Government selected Guatemala as one of 12 Feed the Future target countries for focused investment under the new U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy.

• Feed the Future
• Feed the Future Fomenting Agriculture
• Incomes and Resilience Projects
• Communities Leading Development Project
• Sustainable Economic Observatory (SEOP)
• Health and Education Policy Plus (HEP+)
• Health and Nutrition Surveillance System (SIVESNU in Spanish)
• Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP)
• Nexos Locales (Local Governance Project)
• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
• Cooperative Development Program (CDP III)
• Buena Milpa
• Masfrijol: Feed the Future Innovation for Collaboration Research on Grain Legumes
• Food for Peace
• Food Security Focused on the 1,000-Day Window of Opportunity (SEGAMIL)
• Western Highlands Program of Integrated Actions for Food Security and Nutrition (PAISANO)

For more information, read the Guatemala country profile [PDF, 236KB].