Homelessness statistics

127 out of 189 in Human Development Index rankings (UNDP, 2020)  

Average annual salary per person $8,500 (UNDP, 2020)  

Estimated 59% of the 17.5 million population live below the poverty line. (CIA Factbook, 2021) 

Guatemala, the most populous country in Central America, faces extreme inequality, with a little over 1% of the population owning 60% of the land (Habitat). More than half the population lives in rural areas, predominantly indigenous, where poverty rates are as high as 79% – with 40% living in extreme poverty (World Food Programme, 2019). Nearly half of Guatemala's children under age five are chronically malnourished, one of the highest rates in the world. 

Natural disasters, gang violence and development projects displace thousands of people from their homes every year (Internal Displacement, 2020). Guatemalans have a history of emigrating legally and illegally to Mexico, the United States, and Canada because of a lack of economic opportunity, political instability, and natural disasters. 

Since 2019, there has been a new caravan of asylum-seekers from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, who attempt the 1,600-mile journey north in search of safety and security. These are families fleeing violence and crippling poverty in the region. The region’s Internal Displacement Centre reports on recent research findings that highlight changing circumstances leading to desperate measures.