Belize

Latin America & Caribbean·Upper middle income

Population: 411K; 174th of 217
GDP: $3.52B; 178th of 214 · 2024
GDP per capita: $8,430; 110th of 214 · 2024
Life expectancy: 73.6; 118th of 217
Human development: 0.683; 121st of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Belize

Peru

Colombia

Suriname

Cuba

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

tourism- and agriculture-driven economy; strong post-pandemic rebound; innovative and ecological bond restructuring that significantly lowered public debt and expanded marine protections; central bank offering USD-denominated treasury notes; high mobility across borders

Area: 22,966 km²
Resources: arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
Borders: Guatemala; Mexico

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Christian74.4%
Unaffiliated15.6%
Other9.2%

Religious diversity: 4.83 / 10 · moderate · 59th of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

BLZ

PER

COL

SUR

GDP

current US$

$3.52B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$128M–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

53%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

8.1%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

14.3%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

–––

Population

people

411K–––

Population density

people per km²

17.7–––

Urban population

% of total

46.6%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

2–––

Net migration

people

490–––

Population under 15

% of total

26.6%–––

Population 65+

% of total

5%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

4.2%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

4.3%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

9,012.3–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

1,094.6–––

Electricity generation

TWh

0.5–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

4.83–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

15.6%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Military expenditure

% of GDP

0.8%–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#178/214

$3.52B2024

GDP per capita

current US$

#110/214

$8,4302024

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#125/203

$13,823latest

GDP growth

annual %

#11/214

8.2%2024

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#106/207

$7,6402024

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#153/213

6%2024

FDI inflows

current US$

#145/201

$128M2024

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#107/205

53%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#87/206

8.1%2023

Industry value added

% of GDP

#167/208

14.3%2023

Unemployment

% of labor force

#133/187

8.3%latest

Gini index

0–100

#119/168

39.9latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#61/168

1%latest

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

#67/144

2.922023

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#174/217

411Klatest

Population density

people per km²

#191/216

17.7latest

Urban population

% of total

#154/215

46.6%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#118/217

73.6latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#102/217

2latest

Net migration

people

#77/217

4902024

Population under 15

% of total

#89/217

26.6%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#145/217

5%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#85/196

10.8latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#84/196

12.7latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#152/192

4.2%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#115/195

1.1latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#93/160

90.9%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#90/199

4.3%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#126/194

22.7%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#129/210

72.4%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#184/214

67.22022

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#120/208

9.82022

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#2/215

465K2024

Access to electricity

% of population

#134/215

99.6%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#118/198

9,012.32023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#131/202

1,094.62023

Electricity generation

TWh

#175/202

0.52023

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#23/202

88.9%2023

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#28/202

11.1%2023

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#34/204

0.82024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#79/204

1.92024

Share of global CO₂

#171/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#181/193

18.12023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#190/210

0.2%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#176/210

0.5%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#179/210

0.1%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#190/210

0.4%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#178/210

0.6512024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#93/193

-0.2372022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#118/193

-0.3562022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#141/193

-0.7212022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#71/193

0.4262022

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#59/193

4.832020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#43/193

15.6%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#121/189

0.6832021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#86/170

0.3642021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#27/164

6.712025

Military expenditure

% of GDP

#131/161

0.8%latest

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.