During 2026, the price of gas has registered two increases in the country, which cumulatively represent 17.3%. Prices went from Q3.92 per pound in January, to Q4.40 on April 20 and to Q4.60 on June 9, when, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), the last increase became general.
These prices vary depending on the presentation per cylinder.
For example, the 25-pounder was at Q98 since the beginning of the year; Then it rose Q12 in April, reaching Q110, and had another Q5 increase this week, so it is listed in June at Q115. In this presentation, the accumulated increase is Q17 this year.
The most pronounced increase for this presentation occurred on April 20, when Q12 rose, while in June the increase was Q5.
The 35-pounder has risen in the year Q24, and reached Q161 in June
Meanwhile, the presentation of 40 pounds during the year has risen Q27 and is quoted at Q184; the 60-pound one increased by Q41 and is recorded at Q276, while the 100-pound one rose by Q68 and the price reached Q460.
Will there be a subsidy?
Regarding the most recent price increase, the Vice Minister of Energy and Mines, Erwin Barrios, responded that the increase was generalized on June 9 in all companies and that, for example, in the case of the 25-pound cylinder it went from Q110 to Q115.
The official explained that this is derived from the increase in prices in the billing of the last three import invoicesfor which the companies applied an increase of Q5 to the 25-pound cylinder, but stated that it is within the acceptance parameters.
Asked if the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) will propose or request a subsidy for gas derived from the increases, the vice minister indicated that at the moment there is no higher instruction.
CONTENT FOR SUBSCRIBERS
Regarding the possibility of a gas subsidy, Julio Héctor Estrada, president of the Public Finance Commission of Congress, indicated that last week, in a summons, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Víctor Hugo Ventura, responded that the Executive Agency was preparing a segmented or targeted subsidy mechanism and that they would later present a proposal. According to the deputy, the response included gas and other fuels such as gasoline and diesel.
When Estrada was asked if he considered a gas subsidy necessary and appropriate, the parliamentarian explained that in the case of diesel and gasoline these rose between 60% and 65%, and that the subsidy cushions the impact on consumer prices; However, he said that gas has risen only 17%.
He explained that LPG for the Guatemalan market is imported from the United States and that the behavior of prices has been less drastic. His personal opinion is that this is a market movement that should be absorbed directly by consumption, and that what should be done is a scheme to target the subsidy for diesel and other fuels that have reflected a stronger increase and a greater effect on the consumer basket.
He argued his opinion that if the current increase of 17% is compared to how gas prices were two years ago, the prices of 2024 have not yet been exceeded.
According to data disclosed on the MEM website, in June 2023 the price of the 25-pound cylinder was Q115; It rose to Q135 and fell again to Q115 until mid-December. In June 2024 it dropped to Q110; From February to August 2025 it was at Q120 and then dropped to Q110 that month and to Q98 in December, the price with which 2026 began.
LPG is a byproduct that comes from gas and shale gas in the US, so it has not had the fluctuation of natural gas, which is used for electricity generation, among others, the deputy added.
Diesel and gasoline
Separately, for diesel and gasoline, a targeting proposal is expected from the Executive, as mentioned by the MEM authorities, Estrada said.
He explained that to make a targeting they would have to have lists of beneficiaries and quotas for specific use of cargo, but he said that this issue was addressed with said authorities since last March and that they have not presented options, so he expressed that he is not optimistic that they will achieve a focused subsidy, because they should already have it prepared by now.
CONTENT FOR SUBSCRIBERS
At the moment, a new subsidy proposal for diesel and gasoline has not emerged in Congress either, he added. He indicated that there was social resistance towards the issue and that the first subsidy would serve to observe how the market evolved. Personally, he is still optimistic that the price will drop in the coming weeks, before the current subsidy ends.
However, he also explained that it is financially difficult to maintain a measure like this. “A short-term shock can be fixed with a short-term subsidy, but a long-term shock requires an adaptation of consumption, because the State does not have the financial capacity to sustain those subsidy amounts,” he said.