Education Spending: Guatemala

Analysis# Guatemala Education Spending Guatemala allocated 3.076% of its GDP to education in 2024, slightly below its all-time peak of 3.295% reached in 2020. The country has dramatically increased education investment over the past five decades, with spending rising 65.5% since 1970, when it stood at just 1.86% of GDP. The 1994 low of 1.44% marked the nadir of Guatemala's education commitment during that period. Recent years reveal modest fluctuation around the 3% threshold. After climbing to the 2020 peak, spending dipped to 3.092% in 2021 before rebounding to 3.208% in 2022. The subsequent decline through 2023-2024 suggests Guatemala may be settling into a sustainable but modest range rather than pursuing further expansion. Current levels remain substantially higher than historical benchmarks, reflecting a sustained shift toward prioritizing education in national budgets.