About Guatemala

USAID is committed to advancing Guatemala’s journey to self-reliance. We are partnering with people, communities, and institutions to create conditions and opportunities for underserved populations to achieve prosperous, secure and dignified lives without resorting to illegal migration.

Historic inequality and high levels of violence and insecurity in Guatemala contribute to high levels of poverty, increased crime rates and some of the lowest social development indicators in Latin America. In parallel, Guatemala has the youngest population in Latin America (median age of 22), almost half of the population is under age 19, a group that in its vast majority has insufficient training and job opportunities.

This context has been driving irregular migration to the United States, where most migrants are youth and majority is indigenous seeking a steady income. Guatemalans report lack of economic opportunity as the main driver behind their intention to migrate, with insecurity and family separation as secondary reasons.

History

USAID Guatemala has been operating since the 1950’s. In the last decades we have made significant contributions to the country's development, from aiding the building of Guatemala’s section of the Pan-American Highway, to the foundation of the Association of Guatemalan Exporters (Agexport) and establishing the concession system that protects the Mayan Biosphere Reserve.

Our Approach

Our strategy aligns with the three pillars of the U.S. Central America Strategy: Prosperity, Governance and Security. We prioritize connecting indigenous people, women, and youth to opportunities that enable them to achieve prosperous, secure, and dignified lives at home in Guatemala.

Our Programs

Our development programing aims to advance Guatemala’s economic growth, improve education and health services, and build strong governance and justice systems. We have more than 40 different activities that directly benefit over 2 million Guatemalans and indirectly almost 8.5 million.