​​Internally Displaced People in Guatemala

Overall objectives

The activity aims to generate robust analytics to illuminate the scale, characteristics, and living conditions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Guatemala. By analyzing the latest available data from the National Living Conditions Survey (ENCOVI 2023), the initiative will provide actionable insights to inform humanitarian, development, and national policy responses.

The overarching objective is to ensure that the long-unrecognized and under-reported phenomenon of internal displacement receives evidence-based attention. The initiative seeks to support pathways to durable solutions that are grounded in evidence and tailored to the needs of both violence- and disaster-affected IDPs.

Activity description

The activity centers on producing an analytical report based on ENCOVI 2023, the first national dataset in nearly three decades to include official IDP statistics. Comparative analysis will detail how IDPs perform relative to non-displaced people in areas such as safety and security, adequate standards of living, housing, and access to documentation and livelihoods. In addition to the report, the project will generate infographics, policy notes, and other dissemination materials. The work will be carried out over six months, with a high-level launch event expected in mid-2026 to share findings publicly and encourage uptake across policy and operational spheres.

Engagement with partners

The activity will be implemented through close collaboration with a wide network of governmental, international, and civil society partners. National institutions will guide policy alignment and promote data-driven decision-making. International partners, including UN agencies and development banks, will participate through technical roundtables, validation workshops, and targeted briefings to mobilize resources and integrate displacement considerations into existing programs. Civil society organizations, academia, and research institutions will contribute context-specific insights through consultations and multi-stakeholder workshops, ensuring that the analysis remains grounded in community realities and supports the development of practical, inclusive protection strategies.

Background and Context

Guatemala is a multi-ethnic, multilingual country with the largest economy in Central America. Yet, it continues to face some of the region’s highest levels of poverty and inequality. About 58% of the population lives in multidimensional poverty, with limited access to healthcare, education, food security, dignified employment, safe housing, and other essential services. Compounded by public security issues and natural disasters, Guatemala has been reeling under the weight of an officially unrecognized and publicly under-reported internal displacement crisis.

The last attempt at producing data on this population dates back to a study at the end of the country’s civil war in 1996, which estimated some 242,000 people were displaced due to the 36-year-long conflict. Since then, the problem of internal displacement is believed to have grown, but quantifying its magnitude and trends has been difficult in the absence of reliable data.

Reversing the trend, the National Statistical Institute of Guatemala (INE Guatemala), with the support of UNHCR, produced the first official statistics on the magnitude and characteristics of internally displaced people from the 2023 National Living Conditions Survey (ENCOVI 2023). The headline statistics were released in a high-profile event in September 2025. Building on the momentum, UNHCR and INE Guatemala agreed on the need for additional analytical products to inform public policy, humanitarian operations, and development cooperation in pursuit of solutions for IDPs.