Central America and the Caribbean > Guatemala > Economy

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Agriculture > products sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens
Aid as % of GDP	1.4%		[75th of 129]
Big Mac Index	$2.20		[36th of 65]
Debt > External	$5,908,000,000.00		[90th of 136]
Distribution of family income > Gini index	55.1		[1st of 43]
Economic freedom	2.2		[60th of 156]
Economy > Overview Guatemala is the most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for about one-tenth of GDP, two-fifths of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products, with sugar exports benefiting from increased global demand for ethanol. The 1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala since then has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. On 1 July 2006, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) entered into force between the US and Guatemala and has since spurred increased investment in the export sector. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with about 56% of the population below the poverty line. Other ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, upgrading both government and private financial operations, curtailing drug trafficking and rampant crime, and narrowing the trade deficit. Given Guatemala's large expatriate community in the United States, it is the top remittance recipient in Central America, with inflows serving as a primary source of foreign income equivalent to nearly two-thirds of exports.
Exports	$6,940,000,000.00		[92nd of 189]
GDP	$35,290,270,000.00		[64th of 203]
GDP > PPP	$52,926,000,000.00		[67th of 163]
GDP > Real growth rate	5.7%		[89th of 198]
GINI index	55.13		[4th of 40]
Gross National Income	$19,569,100,000.00		[58th of 172]
Human Development Index	0.663		[118th of 178]
Income category	Lower middle income
Income distribution > Richest 10%	46%		[7th of 114]
Population below poverty line	56.2%		[7th of 46]
Poverty > Share of all poor people	0.1 % of world's poor		[43rd of 80]
Public debt	20.9 % of GDP		[91st of 121]
Tourist arrivals	576,000		[64th of 152]

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