Description

ETHNICITYGT (V131GT) is a variable specific to Guatemala that reports the ethnicity of the woman respondent.

Across Guatemalan samples, respondents are broadly divided into Indigenous/Indian versus non-Indian/Ladino, with some sample years providing additional detail.

For the 1987 sample, responses are based on the observation of the interviewer, rather than an answer by the woman respondent. That sample identifies non-Indigenous persons as "Ladino," and defines this category as “someone of mixed race that speaks Spanish.” The 1995 and 1998 samples follow the same pattern.

For the 2014 sample, answers were supplied by the woman respondent. The interviewer asked, "What are you considered as: Maya, Ladina/Mestiza, Garifuna, Xinca, or another ethnicity?"

Comparability

ETHNICITYGT (V131GT) differs across samples in question wording and response categories, as described above. To maximize comparability across samples without loss of detail, IPUMS DHS uses composite coding for this variable. The first digit distinguishes between "Indigenous/Indian" (code 1) versus non-Indian (code 2). The second digit supplies additional detail when available, such as the woman’s reported Indigenous background in 2014.

Comparability - Standard DHS

ETHNICITY (V131) is a country-specific variable included in the standard DHS questionnaire for Phase 2 forward, with no standard wording or response categories.

Universe