| Languages of Guatemala | |
|---|---|
 A language map of languages of Guatemala, according to theComisión de Oficialización de los Dialectos Indígenas de Guatemala.Castillian is merely another name forSpanish. | |
| Official | Spanish |
| Indigenous | Several languages |
| Minority | Garifuna |
| Foreign | English |
Spanish is the official language ofGuatemala, and is spoken by 93% of the population.[1]Guatemalan Spanish is the local variant of the Spanish language.
Twenty-twoMayan languages are spoken, especially in rural areas, as well as two non-MayanAmerindian languages:Xinca, an indigenous language, andGarifuna, anArawakan language spoken on the Caribbean coast. According to the Language Law of 2003, the languages of Mayas, Xincas, and Garifunas are recognized as national languages.[2]
German is spoken by more than 5,000 Germans citizens living permanently in Guatemala, as well as several thousandGuatemalans of German descent.[3]
| Language | Family | Branch | Native speakers | % of total population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | Indo-European | Romance | 9,481,907 | 69.9[5] | Although 93% of Guatemalans can speak Spanish and it is the sole official language of the country, it is not spoken by the entire population, or even used as a second language.[1] There are twenty-four distinct indigenous languages spoken in Guatemala. |
| Kʼicheʼ | Mayan | Kʼicheʼ | 1,000,000 | 5.79 | Language spoken in six departments:Sololá (in five municipalities),Totonicapán,Quetzaltenango,El Quiché,Suchitepéquez andRetalhuleu. |
| Q'eqchi' | Mayan | Kʼicheʼ | 555,461 | 3.22 | Spoken inAlta Verapaz,El Petén,Izabal and inEl Quiché. |
| Kaqchikel | Mayan | Kʼicheʼ | 500,000 | 2.9 | Guatemala City, Chimaltenango, Escuintla,Suchitepéquez, Baja Verapaz and Sololá. |
| Mam | Mayan | Mam | 480,000 | 2.78 | Quetzaltenango, San Marcos, andHuehuetenango. |
| Poqomchiʼ | Mayan | Kʼicheʼ | 92,000 | 0.53 | Baja Verapaz and in Alta Verapaz. |
| Tz’utujil | Mayan | Kʼicheʼ | 88,300 | 0.51 | Sololá,Suchitepéquez. |
| Achí | Mayan | Kʼicheʼ | 85,552 | 0.5 | Spoken mainly in five municipalities ofBaja Verapaz:Cubulco,Rabinal,San Miguel Chicaj,Salamá andSan Jerónimo, and partially atEl Chol andGranados,Baja Verapaz. |
| Q’anjob’al | Mayan | Q'anjob'al | 77,700 | 0.45 | Spoken in four municipalities of the Huehuetenango department:San Juan Ixcoy,San Pedro Soloma,Santa Eulalia,Santa Cruz Barillas. |
| Ixil | Mayan | Mam | 70,000 | 0.41 | Spoken in three municipalities of the El Quiché department, also known as theIxil Triangle:Santa María Nebaj,San Gaspar Chajul, andSan Juan Cotzal. |
| Akatek | Mayan | Q'anjob'al | 48,500 | 0.28 | Spoken in two municipalities in Huehuetenango:San Miguel Acatán ySan Rafael La Independencia. |
| Jakaltek | Mayan | Q'anjob'al | 40,000 | 0.23 | Spoken inJacaltenango and the surrounding Huista region in Huehuetenango. |
| Chuj | Mayan | Q'anjob'al | 40,000 | 0.23 | Spoken inSan Mateo Ixtatán,San Sebastián Coatán andNentón, all in theHuehuetenango Department. |
| Poqomam | Mayan | Kʼicheʼ | 30,000 | 0.17 | Spoken inGuatemala City,Jalapa, andEscuintla. |
| Ch'orti' | Mayan | Chol | 30,000 | 0.17 | Jocotán andCamotán,La Unión, Zacapa |
| Chalchitek | Mayan | Mam | 21 550 | 0.10 | Chalchitán, a neighborhood in Aguacatán, Huehuetenango. |
| Awakatek | Mayan | Mam | 18,000 | 0.10 | Primarily inAguacatán, Huehuetenango. |
| Sakapultek | Mayan | Kʼicheʼ | 9,763 | 0.06 | Sacapulas inEl Quiché. |
| Sipakapa | Mayan | Kʼicheʼ | 8,000 | 0.06 | Sipacapa,San Marcos. |
| Garífuna | Arawakan | Caribeña | 5,860 | 0.03 | Izabal. Garifuna is one of the languages brought to Guatemala by slaves Spanish colonists brought from other places. |
| Uspantek | Mayan | Kʼicheʼ | 3,000 | 0.02 | Uspantán andChicamán, El Quiché. |
| Tektitek | Mayan | Mam | 2,265 | 0.01 | Tectitán andCuilco, Huehuetenango. |
| Mopan | Mayan | Yucateca | 2,000 | 0.01 | San Luis,Poptún,Melchor de Mencos, andDolores,El Petén . |
| Xincan languages | Xincan languages | at least four languages | 16 | 0.0001 | Spoken by about two hundred people inSanta Rosa andJutiapa. Anendangered language with unclear origins.The Xincan languages may have arrived from the South. |
| Itza | Mayan | Yucateca | 12 | 0.0001 | Spoken in six municipalities, mainly inSan José, of the El Petén department. |
| Official language | |||||||||||||
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| Indigenous languages |
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| Sign languages | |||||||||||||
