Indigenous peoples in Guatemala
Ethnic group
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Indigenous peoples in Guatemala (Spanish: Pueblos Indígenas en Guatemala), also known as Native Guatemalans (Spanish: Guatemaltecos nativos), are people in the country of Guatemala who can trace all or most of their ancestry to the original inhabitants of the territory, predating Spanish colonization.
Guatemaltecos nativos (Spanish) | |
|---|---|
Indigenous girls in Retalhuleu Department | |
| Total population | |
| 6,471,670 (2018 census)[1] 43.43% of the Guatemalan population | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Throughout Guatemala, especially in the Guatemalan Highlands and Alta Verapaz | |
| Languages | |
| Spanish, Mayan languages | |
| Religion | |
| Maya religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Ladino people |
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]
Table by department
The following is a table of Native populations by department in Guatemala.
| Department | Ethnic groups | Pop. (Indigenous) |
% of pop. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Alta Verapaz | Q'eqchi', Poqomchi' | 1,129,516 | 93.0% |
| 2 |  El Quiché | Kʼicheʼ, Ixil | 846,559 | 89.2% |
| 3 |  Huehuetenango | Mam, Qʼanjobʼal, Jakaltek | 760,915 | 65.0% |
| 4 |  Chimaltenango | Kaqchikel | 481,572 | 78.2% |
| 5 |  Totonicapán | Kʼicheʼ, Mam | 410,244 | 98.0% |
| 6 |  Quetzaltenango | Kʼicheʼ, Mam | 406,697 | 50.9% |
| 7 |  Sololá | Kʼicheʼ, Kakchikel, Tz'utujil | 406,330 | 96.4% |
| 8 |  Guatemala | Kaqchikel | 405,758 | 13.5% |
| 9 |  San Marcos | Mam | 318,169 | 30.8% |
| 10 |  Suchitepéquez | Kʼicheʼ | 211,313 | 38.1% |
| 11 |  Baja Verapaz | Achi | 179,809 | 60.0% |
| 12 |  Petén | Q'eqchi' | 165,014 | 30.2% |
| 13 |  Sacatepéquez | Kaqchikel | 132,968 | 40.2% |
| 14 |  Jalapa | Poqomam | 133,420 | 38.9% |
| 15 |  Izabal | Q'eqchi' | 115,401 | 28.2% |
| 16 |  Chiquimula | Chʼortiʼ | 111,417 | 26.8% |
| 17 |  Jutiapa | Xinca | 99,074 | 20.3% |
| 18 |  Santa Rosa | Xinca | 63,718 | 16.1% |
| 19 |  Retalhuleu | K'iche' | 48,929 | 15.0% |
| 20 |  Escuintla | Poqomam | 37,359 | 5.1% |
| 21 |  Zacapa | 4,815 | 2.0% | |
| 22 |  El Progreso | 2,673 | 1.5% | |
 Guatemala | 6,471,670 | 43.4% |
History
The earliest proof of human settlement in Guatemala dates back to 10,000 BCE, although some evidence suggests human settlement as early as 18,000 BCE.[5]
