Languages of Guatemala at a glance
- 28living languages
- 4language families
- 18.3 millionpeople (CLDR estimate)
- 16with a CLDR share
Tap the map to list every language whose area covers a spot in Guatemala. Areas are generalisations from published atlases and overlap, and a language that is mapped here is not necessarily spoken everywhere inside its area.
Languages spoken in Guatemala
Languages with a Unicode CLDR share come first, biggest first by estimated speakers; the rest follow A to Z. Estimated speakers are the share applied to CLDR’s own population figure for the country.
| Language | Family | Share of population | Estimated speakers | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | Indo-European | 88% | 16,064,576 | Not endangered |
| Kaqchikel | Mayan | 8.8% | 1,606,458 | Threatened |
| Q'eqchi' | Mayan | 8.8% | 1,606,458 | Threatened |
| K'iche' | Mayan | 8.6% | 1,569,947 | Threatened |
| Mam | Mayan | 4.6% | 839,739 | Threatened |
| English | Indo-European | 3.1% | 565,911 | Not endangered |
| Poqomchi' | Mayan | 1.2% | 219,062 | Threatened |
| Q'anjob'al | Mayan | 1.2% | 219,062 | Threatened |
| Achi | Mayan | 1.1% | 200,807 | Threatened |
| Ixil | Mayan | 0.9% | 162,471 | Threatened |
| Tz'utujil | Mayan | 0.6% | 111,357 | Threatened |
| Akateko | Mayan | 0.6% | 105,880 | Shifting |
| Chuj | Mayan | 0.4% | 78,497 | Threatened |
| Popti' | Mayan | 0.3% | 56,591 | Threatened |
| Aguacateco | Mayan | 0.3% | 47,464 | Threatened |
| Ch'orti' | Mayan | 0.1% | 23,732 | Shifting |
| Garifuna | Arawakan | Not endangered | ||
| Itza' | Mayan | Moribund | ||
| Kakchikel-K'iche' Mixed Language | Mayan | Shifting | ||
| Mocho | Mayan | Nearly extinct | ||
| Mopan | Mayan | Threatened | ||
| Northern Chiapas Zoque | Mixe-Zoque | Not endangered | ||
| Poqomam | Mayan | Shifting | ||
| Sacapulteco | Mayan | Shifting | ||
| Sipacapense | Mayan | Shifting | ||
| Tektiteko | Mayan | Shifting | ||
| Uspanteco | Mayan | Shifting | ||
| Yucatec Maya | Mayan | Not endangered |
Read more: where is Spanish spoken?
Language families in Guatemala
- Mayan (24 languages)
- Indo-European (2 languages)
- Arawakan (1 language)
- Mixe-Zoque (1 language)
About these numbers
The list of languages in Guatemala comes from the overlap of Glottography and Glottolog language areas and positions with the country outline, together with the languages Glottolog assigns to the country. The shares come from Unicode CLDR release 48 and are estimates. See every source and licence.
Questions about languages in Guatemala
How many languages are spoken in Guatemala?
28 living languages are mapped in Guatemala, from 4 families. The number depends on how a catalogue decides where one language ends and another begins, so other sources give other totals.
What is the most spoken language in Guatemala?
By Unicode CLDR's estimate, Spanish is spoken by 88% of the population, about 16,064,576 people, followed by Kaqchikel (8.8%). Shares are approximate, can add up to more than 100% because many people speak several languages, and only cover languages CLDR has a figure for.
Which language families are found in Guatemala?
Mayan (24 languages), Indo-European (2 languages), Arawakan (1 language) and Mixe-Zoque (1 language).