Languages spoken in Guatemala
North America · Capital: Guatemala City · Population 18.3 million
The official language of Guatemala is Spanish. A further four languages hold official status at regional level: Kaqchikel, Kʼicheʼ, Mam, and Ixil. An estimated 88% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 16.1 million people. After Spanish, the most widely spoken are Kaqchikel at 8.8% and Qʼeqchiʼ at 8.8%. Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family. Spanish is also spoken in all four of its neighbours. In total, seven languages are recorded in Guatemala, and their shares add up to 122.8% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.2 of them.
What languages are spoken in Guatemala?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpanishIndo-European | 88% | Official | 16.1 million |
| KaqchikelMayan | 8.8% | Official (regional) | 1.6 million |
| QʼeqchiʼMayan | 8.8% | Spoken | 1.6 million |
| KʼicheʼMayan | 8.6% | Official (regional) | 1.6 million |
| MamMayan | 4.6% | Official (regional) | 839,739 |
| EnglishIndo-European | 3.1% | Spoken | 565,911 |
| IxilMayan | 0.9% | Official (regional) | 162,471 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Guatemala?
The official language of Guatemala is Spanish. A further four languages are official at regional or state level: Kaqchikel, Kʼicheʼ, Mam, and Ixil. Spanish is spoken by an estimated 88% of the population, or roughly 16.1 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Spanish in Guatemala?
An estimated 88% of Guatemala's 18.3 million people speak Spanish, which works out at roughly 16.1 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Guatemala
- Capital
- Guatemala City
- Population
- 18.3 million
- Continent
- North America
- Area
- 108,889 km²
- Currency
- GTQ
- Languages recorded
- 7
- Land borders
- 4
- ISO codes
- GT / GTM / 320
Which countries border Guatemala?
Guatemala shares a land border with four countries: Belize, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador. Spanish, the most widely spoken language in Guatemala, is also spoken in Belize, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.