419,137 (2023 est.)
noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean
Mestizo 52.9%, Creole 25.9%, Maya 11.3%, Garifuna 6.1%, East Indian 3.9%, Mennonite 3.6%, White 1.2%, Asian 1%, other 1.2%, unknown 0.3% (2010 est.)
note: percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic origin
English 62.9% (official), Spanish 56.6%, Creole 44.6%, Maya 10.5%, German 3.2%, Garifuna 2.9%, other 1.8%, unknown 0.5%; note - shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2010 est.)
major-language sample(s):
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)
Spanish audio sample:
Roman Catholic 40.1%, Protestant 31.5% (includes Pentecostal 8.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Anglican 4.7%, Mennonite 3.7%, Baptist 3.6%, Methodist 2.9%, Nazarene 2.8%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 10.5% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Church of Jesus Christ, Muslim, Rastafarian, Salvation Army), unspecified 0.6%, none 15.5% (2010 est.)
Migration continues to transform Belize's population. About 16% of Belizeans live abroad, while immigrants constitute approximately 15% of Belize's population. Belizeans seeking job and educational opportunities have preferred to emigrate to the United States rather than former colonizer Great Britain because of the United States' closer proximity and stronger trade ties with Belize. Belizeans also emigrate to Canada, Mexico, and English-speaking Caribbean countries. The emigration of a large share of Creoles (Afro-Belizeans) and the influx of Central American immigrants, mainly Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and Hondurans, has changed Belize's ethnic composition. Mestizos have become the largest ethnic group, and Belize now has more native Spanish speakers than English or Creole speakers, despite English being the official language. In addition, Central American immigrants are establishing new communities in rural areas, which contrasts with the urbanization trend seen in neighboring countries. Recently, Chinese, European, and North American immigrants have become more frequent.
Immigration accounts for an increasing share of Belize's population growth rate, which is steadily falling due to fertility decline. Belize's declining birth rate and its increased life expectancy are creating an aging population. As the elderly population grows and nuclear families replace extended households, Belize's government will be challenged to balance a rising demand for pensions, social services, and healthcare for its senior citizens with the need to reduce poverty and social inequality and to improve sanitation.
0-14 years: 30.93% (male 66,160/female 63,478)
15-64 years: 64.15% (male 134,019/female 134,867)
65 years and over: 4.92% (2023 est.) (male 9,741/female 10,872)
2023 population pyramid: 
total dependency ratio: 49.7
youth dependency ratio: 42.3
elderly dependency ratio: 7.4
potential support ratio: 13.5 (2021 est.)
total: 26.4 years (2023 est.)
male: 26.1 years
female: 26.8 years
1.47% (2023 est.)
18 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
5.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
approximately 25% to 30% of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City; over half of the overall population is rural; population density is slightly higher in the north and east
urban population: 46.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
23,000 BELMOPAN (capital) (2018)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
130 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 73.7 years (2023 est.)
male: 71.9 years
female: 75.6 years
2.08 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.02 (2023 est.)
51.4% (2015/16)
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 99.4% of population
total: 99.7% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0.6% of population
total: 0.3% of population (2020 est.)
6.9% of GDP (2020)
1.08 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
1 beds/1,000 population (2017)
improved: urban: 99.1% of population
rural: 95.7% of population
total: 97.3% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.9% of population
rural: 4.3% of population
total: 2.7% of population (2020 est.)
24.1% (2016)
total: 5.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 3.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 8.5% (2020 est.)
male: 15.1% (2020 est.)
female: 1.8% (2020 est.)
4.6% (2015/16)
64.3% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 6.3%
women married by age 18: 33.5%
men married by age 18: 22.2% (2016 est.)
8.7% of GDP (2021 est.)
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
total: 13 years
male: 12 years
female: 13 years (2021)
NOTE: The information regarding Belize on this page is re-published from the 2024 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Belize 2024 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Belize 2024 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.
This page was last modified 04 May 24, Copyright © 2024 ITA all rights reserved.
