Indigenous peoples in Guatemala

Indigenous peoples in Guatemala

Indigenous girls in Retalhuleu Department
Total population
6,471,670 (2018 census)[1] 43.43% of the Guatemalan population
Languages
Spanish, Mayan languages
Related ethnic groups
Mayans (Kʼicheʼ, Kekchi, Kaqchikel, Mam, and others) Ladino Garifuna Xinca

The Indigenous peoples in Guatemala, also known as Native Guatemalans, are the original inhabitants of Guatemala, predating Spanish colonization. Guatemala is home to about 6.5 million (43.75%) people of indigenous heritage belonging to the 22 Mayan peoples (Achi’, Akatec, Awakatec, Chalchitec, Ch’ortí, Chuj, Itzá, Ixil, Jacaltec, Kaq- chikel, K’iche, Mam, Mopan, Poqomam, Poqomchí, Q’anjob’al, Q’eqchí, Sakapultec, Sipakapense, Tektitek, Tz’utujil and Us- pantek), Garífuna and Xinca.^[2] The Maya are the largest Indigenous population in Guatemala.^[3]

The following is a table of native populations by department in Guatemala.

Indigenous population in Guatemala by department (2018)^[4]

	Department	Ethnic groups	Pop. (Indigenous)	% of pop.
1	Alta Verapaz	Q'eqchi', Poqomchi'	1,129,369	92.9%
2	El Quiché	Kʼicheʼ, Ixil	846,500	89.1%
3	Huehuetenango	Mam, Qʼanjobʼal, Jakaltek	760,871	64.9%
4	Chimaltenango	Kaqchikel	481,335	78.1%
5	Totonicapán	Kʼicheʼ, Mam	410,195	97.9%
6	Quetzaltenango	Kʼicheʼ, Mam	406,491	50.8%
7	Sololá	Kʼicheʼ, Kakchikel, Tz'utujil	406,295	96.3%
8	Guatemala	Kaqchikel	402,376	13.3%
9	San Marcos	Mam	318,093	30.8%
10	Suchitepéquez	Kʼicheʼ	211,103	38.1%
11	Baja Verapaz	Achi	179,746	59.9%
12	Petén	Q'eqchi'	164,814	30.2%
13	Sacatepéquez	Kaqchikel	132,762	40.1%
14	Izabal	Q'eqchi'	115,296	28.3%
15	Chiquimula	Chʼortiʼ	111,368	26.8%
16	Retalhuleu	K'iche'	48,871	14.9%
17	Escuintla	Poqomam	37,100	5.1%
18	Jalapa	Poqomam	24,891	7.2%
19	Santa Rosa	Xinca	7,863	1.9%
20	Zacapa		4,769	1.9%
21	Jutiapa	Xinca	4,768	0.97%
22	El Progreso		2,627	1.4%
	Guatemala		6,207,503	41.6%

• Discrimination against Maya peoples in Guatemala
• Indigenous peoples of North America