Social Class Structure in Central America Today

• Upper Class: Wealthy landowners, business elites, top professionals; high living standards, political influence.
• Middle Class: Growing; professionals, SME owners, skilled workers; comfortable but less wealth/power.
• Working Class: Largest group; factory, construction, agricultural labor; modest income, vulnerable.
• Peasantry / Rural Poor: Subsistence farmers, indigenous communities; extreme poverty, limited services.
• Informal Sector: Unregistered self-employment, street vending; precarious but vital for survival.

Structure varies by country (Guatemala vs. Costa Rica) and evolves with urbanization, migration, policy.