Life Expectancy in Guatemala (2024): Men 70.4, Women 75.0

Life expectancy in Guatemala since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Guatemala has risen by 26.9 years, from 45.8 to 72.7. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 3.7 years (from 71.6 in 2019 to 67.9 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 4.6 years longer than men (75.0 vs 70.4).

Expected age at death in Guatemala by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	70.4	72.4	73.3	76.2	84.7
Women	75.0	77.1	77.9	80.0	86.8

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Guatemala’s figures (method).

How people die in Guatemala

Chronic diseases: 63.5%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 21.6%
Injuries: 14.9%

In 2019, 64% of deaths in Guatemala were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Guatemala man has a 12% chance and a woman 16% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 22.9 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Guatemala, about 20.5 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Guatemala compared with its region

Guatemala is in the World Bank’s Latin America & Caribbean region, where the average life expectancy is 75.5 years. It ranks #33 of 42 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
29	Belize	73.7	71.1	76.7
30	Trinidad and Tobago	73.6	70.5	76.8
31	Honduras	73.0	70.5	75.7
32	Saint Lucia	72.8	69.5	76.5
33	Guatemala	72.7	70.4	75.0
34	Venezuela	72.7	68.9	76.7
35	El Salvador	72.3	67.8	76.5
36	Saint Kitts and Nevis	72.3	68.7	76.2
37	Jamaica	71.6	69.1	74.1

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Guatemala?

72.7 years in 2024: 70.4 for men and 75.0 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Guatemala?

Yes. Women in Guatemala live about 4.6 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Guatemala rank for life expectancy?

Guatemala ranks #128 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 0.8 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Guatemala?

Life expectancy at birth (72.7) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Guatemala can expect to live to about 73.3, and a 40-year-old woman to about 77.9.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.