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Rural poverty in Guatemala

Poverty in Guatemala is widespread and deeply entrenched, particularly among Poor rural people, who account for 71 per cent of the country’s poor population. The country's high rates of illiteracy, infant mortality and infant malnourishment are even higher among indigenous peoples, most of whom live in rural areas.

Who are Guatemala's rural poor people?
In this multi-ethnic country, poverty affects mainly young people and people living in rural areas, and it is highly concentrated among indigenous communities and households headed by women. There are four major ethnic groups in rural areas, the Maya, Xinca, ladinos and garifunas. Among the Maya there are 4 major and 24 minor ethnic subgroups. Each group has unique cultural, social, linguistic and economic characteristics. In the past, discrimination and marginalization determined the communities’ extreme poverty. Even today discrimination continues to hold them back as they struggle to achieve an acceptable quality of life, and to assert their rights and cultural values.

Within rural poor communities women are among the most vulnerable groups, together with children and young people. In general, more women than men are illiterate, and more women are unable to speak Spanish, the country's official language. Women shoulder heavier domestic workloads and are less aware of their rights.

Where are Guatemala's rural poor people?
Pockets of poverty can be found across the country, generally in rural areas inhabited mainly by indigenous communities. There is also a ’poverty belt’ that runs across the northern and north-western regions. These areas were severely affected by more than three decades of civil war up to the mid 1990s.

Why are Guatemala's rural people poor?
The origins of rural poverty are in the country’s long history of social discrimination and inequality. Indigenous groups have traditionally been excluded from the social, economic and political mainstream. The situation has been exacerbated by Guatemala's complex topography. High mountains and dense forests have kept mainly indigenous communities remote from the rest of the country. Centuries of isolation and neglect have resulted in chronic poverty. Today, although indigenous communities make up 41 per cent of the population, they account for less than a quarter of Guatemala's total income and consumption. They have extremely limited access to basic services and infrastructure such as roads and markets.

The causes of poverty are primarily related to the lack of access to social and productive assets and resources such as land and water. Income distribution and land ownership are extremely uneven. Illiteracy and lack of education contribute to keeping people poor. Indigenous communities speak a wide range of languages and dialects, but many do not speak Spanish, and this has kept them further marginalized. Employment opportunities, particularly in rural areas of Guatemala, are scarce. Many Guatemalans migrate northwards in search of employment in Mexico and the United States of America. 

The degradation of natural resources is intense, particularly as a result of illegal exploitation of forests and slash-and-burn subsistence agriculture. The overexploitation of land and water resources results in lower productivity of basic crops, leading to increased food insecurity among poor smallholder farmers, Food insecurity also stems from soaring food prices, which affect subsistence farmers, day labourers and non-farming poor people. In addition, because of poor roads, farmers have limited access to markets and are vulnerable to exploitation by intermediaries. Also, the government’s technical services have been drastically reduced over the past decade, and financial services that could help poor farmers invest in improving their livelihoods are concentrated in urban areas.

Source: IFAD