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]
Definition: Economy > Aid as % of GDP
Source: CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005
Big Mac Index	$2.20		[36th of 65]
Definition: Economy > Big Mac Index
Source: calculated on the basis of data on ODA from OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), Development Assistance Committee. 2002. DAC Online. Database. Paris.; and data on GDP from World Bank. 2002. World Development Indicators 2002. CD-ROM. Washington, DC
Debt > External	$5,908,000,000.00		[90th of 136]
Definition: Economy > Debt > External
Source: The Economist.
Distribution of family income > Gini index	55.1		[1st of 43]
Definition: Economy > Distribution of family income > Gini index
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Economic freedom	2.2		[60th of 156]
Definition: Economy > Economic freedom
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
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.
Definition: Economy > Economy > Overview
Source: The Heritage Foundation
Exports	$6,940,000,000.00		[92nd of 189]
Definition: Economy > Exports
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
GDP	$35,290,270,000.00		[64th of 203]
Definition: Economy > GDP
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
GDP > PPP	$52,926,000,000.00		[67th of 163]
Definition: Economy > GDP > PPP
Source: World Development Indicators database and CIA World Factbook
GDP > Real growth rate	5.7%		[89th of 198]
Definition: Economy > GDP > Real growth rate
Source: World Bank. 2005. World Development Indicators 2005.
GINI index	55.13		[4th of 40]
Definition: Economy > GINI index
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Gross National Income	$19,569,100,000.00		[58th of 172]
Definition: Economy > Gross National Income
Source: World Development Indicators database
Human Development Index	0.663		[118th of 178]
Definition: Economy > Human Development Index
Income category	Lower middle income
Definition: Economy > Income category
Source: Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme
Income distribution > Richest 10%	46%		[7th of 114]
Definition: Economy > Income distribution > Richest 10%
Source:
Population below poverty line	56.2%		[7th of 46]
Definition: Economy > Population below poverty line
Source: World Bank. 2002. World Development Indicators 2002. CD-ROM. Washington, DC
Poverty > Share of all poor people	0.1 % of world's poor		[43rd of 80]
Definition: Economy > Poverty > Share of all poor people
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Public debt	20.9 % of GDP		[91st of 121]
Definition: Economy > Public debt
Source: Country Responsibilities in Achieving the Millenium Development Goals", April 8 2003, by Janice Poling
Tourist arrivals	576,000		[64th of 152]
Definition: Economy > Tourist arrivals
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008

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