Belize - BZ - BLZ - BIZ - Central America and the Caribbean

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires David HODGE (since January 2025)

embassy: 4 Floral Park Road, Belmopan, Cayo

mailing address: 3050 Belmopan Place, Washington DC  20521-3050

telephone: (501) 822-4011

FAX: (501) 822-4012

email address and website:
ACSBelize@state.gov

https://bz.usembassy.gov/

0-14 years: 27.7% (male 58,529/female 56,811)

15-64 years: 66.7% (male 135,903/female 141,503)

65 years and over: 5.5% (2024 est.) (male 11,463/female 11,580)

17 15 N, 88 45 W

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

18-23 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient, but conscription has never been implemented; initial service obligation is 12 years (2024)

Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1862. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992, and the two countries are still involved in an ongoing border dispute. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high crime rates, high unemployment combined with a majority youth population, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.

deforestation; water pollution, including pollution of Belize's Barrier Reef System, from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; inability to properly dispose of solid waste

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

0.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

raw sugar, bananas, fish, shellfish, refined petroleum (2023)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

USA 22%, UK 14%, Spain 9%, Guatemala 7%, Portugal 5% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo

sugarcane, maize, bananas, sorghum, soybeans, chicken, rice, oranges, fruits, plantains (2023)

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Air Wing; Belize Coast Guard (BCG) (2025)

note: the Ministry of National Defense and Border Security is responsible for oversight of the BDF and the Coast Guard, while the Ministry of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries has responsibility for the Belize Police Department (BPD) and prisons

revenues: $554.405 million (2017 est.)

expenditures: $506.316 million (2017 est.)

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

name: Belmopan

geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W

time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the name is formed from two words: "Belize," the name of the longest river in the country, and "Mopan," one of the rivers in the area that empties into the Belize River

refined petroleum, orthopedic appliances, ships, garments, tobacco (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)

386 km

history: previous 1954, 1963 (pre-independence); latest signed and entered into force 21 September 1981

amendment process: proposed and adopted by two-thirds majority vote of the National Assembly House of Representatives except for amendments relating to rights and freedoms, changes to the Assembly, and to elections and judiciary matters, which require at least three-quarters majority vote of the House; both types of amendments require assent of the governor general

Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
2 (2023 est.)
2 (2022 est.)
2 (2021 est.)
2 (2020 est.)
2 (2019 est.)

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General Froyla TZALAM (since 27 May 2021)

head of government: Prime Minister John BRICEÑO (since 12 November 2020)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among members of the National Assembly

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor-general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor-general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

royal blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland of 50 mahogany leaves; the colors are those of the two main political parties: blue for the PUP and red for the UDP; various elements of the coat of arms - the figures, the tools, the mahogany tree, and the garland of leaves - recall the logging industry that led to British settlement of Belize

note: Belize's flag is the only national flag that depicts human beings; two British overseas territories, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands, also depict humans

21 September 1981 (from the UK)

garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with the court president and 3 justices, and the Supreme Court with the chief justice and 10 justices); the Caribbean Court of Justice is the final court of appeal

judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and justices appointed by the governor-general upon advice of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; justices' tenures vary by terms of appointment; Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the prime minister and the National Assembly opposition leader; other judges appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Section of the Public Services Commission and with the concurrence of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; judges can be appointed beyond age 65 but must retire by age 75

subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts; Family Court

total: 542 km

border countries (2): Guatemala 266 km; Mexico 276 km

agricultural land: 8% (2022 est.)

arable land: 4.4% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 1.4% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 2.2% (2022 est.)

forest: 55% (2022 est.)

other: 37% (2022 est.)

English common law

legislature name: National Assembly

legislative structure: bicameral

 

territorial sea: 12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south; note - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 nm; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for negotiating a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Battle of St. George's Caye Day (National Day), 10 September (1798); Independence Day, 21 September (1981)

noun: Belizean(s)

adjective: Belizean

arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower

only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

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

Belize People’s Front or BPF
Belize Progressive Party or BPP (formed in 2015 from a merger of the People's National Party, elements of the Vision Inspired by the People, and other smaller political groups)
People's United Party or PUP
United Democratic Party or UDP
Vision Inspired by the People or VIP

18 years of age; universal

general assessment: Belize’s fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration remain lower than average for the region, a legacy of insufficient market competition and under investment in telecoms services; a significant investment in infrastructure, launching an LTE-A service at the end of 2016 and in mid-2017 completing a submarine cable to Ambergris Caye, enabling it to launch an FttP service in San Pedro; the nfrastructure has been updated from the legacy copper to fiber; investments have been made to provide high speed broadband to 80% of residences across Belize. (2021)

domestic: roughly 5 per 100 fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity of 66 per 100 persons; mobile sector accounting for over 90% of all phone subscriptions (2021)

international: country code - 501; landing points for the ARCOS and SEUL fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2019)

flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Belize

former: British Honduras

etymology: traditionally believed to be derived from the Spanish pronunciation of the last name of Scottish explorer Peter Wallace, who settled in the area in 1638; alternatively, may be named for the Belize River, whose name possibly derives from the Maya word "belix," meaning "muddy-watered"

Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico

Central America and the Caribbean

35 sq km (2012)

chief of mission: Ambassador Lynn Raymond YOUNG (since 7 July 2021)

chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008-2826

telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636

FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888

email address and website:
reception.usa@mfa.gov.bz

https://www.belizeembassyusa.mfa.gov.bz/

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York

percent of population: 70% (2022 est.)

.bz

$3.067 billion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Moody's rating: Caa3 (2020)

Standard & Poors rating: CCC+ (2020)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

21.73 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

total: 13 years

male: 12 years

female: 13 years (2021)

urban population: 46.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

8 privately owned TV stations; multi-channel cable TV provides access to foreign stations; about 25 radio stations broadcasting on roughly 50 different frequencies; state-run radio was privatized in 1998 (2019)

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.)

name: Land of the Free

lyrics/music: Samuel Alfred HAYNES/Selwyn Walford YOUNG

note: adopted 1981; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the King" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

23,000 BELMOPAN (capital) (2018)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

1.09 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

1 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Baird's tapir (a large, browsing, forest-dwelling mammal), keel-billed toucan, Black Orchid; national colors: red, blue

51.4% (2015/16)

household consumption: 62.9% (2023 est.)

government consumption: 15.7% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 20.6% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories: -2.3% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services: 55.3% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services: -51.2% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

total dependency ratio: 49.9 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 41.6 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 8.3 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 12 (2024 est.)

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

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

electrification - total population: 98.6% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas: 98.4%

electrification - rural areas: 97.1%

V3

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.)

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

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.)

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% (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)

note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

USA 37%, China 17%, Guatemala 10%, Mexico 8%, Costa Rica 6% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

highest point: Doyle's Delight 1,124 m

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

mean elevation: 173 m

5% of GDP (2021)

the Belize Defense Force (BDF) is responsible for external security but also provides some support to civilian authorities; it has limited powers of arrest within land and shoreline areas, while the Coast Guard has arrest powers and jurisdiction within coastal and maritime areas; the BDF traces its history back to the Prince Regent Royal Honduras Militia, a volunteer force established in 1817; the BDF was established in 1978 from the disbanded Police Special Force and the Belize Volunteer Guard to assist the resident British forces with the defense of Belize against Guatemala

the British Army has maintained a presence in Belize since its independence; the presence consists of a small training support unit that provides jungle training to troops from the UK and international partners (2024)

approximately 1,500 BDF personnel (2024)

the military has a small inventory consisting mostly of UK- and US-origin equipment (2024)

municipal: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 70 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 101,379 tons (2015 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 10.51 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.57 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 0.55 megatons (2020 est.)

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System

women married by age 15: 6.3%

women married by age 18: 33.5%

men married by age 18: 22.2% (2016 est.)

imports: 32 metric tons (2023 est.)

fossil fuels: 12% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar: 2.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity: 52.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

biomass and waste: 32.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

total petroleum production: 800 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 6.7 million barrels (2021 est.)

1 (2024 est.)

64.3% (2023 est.)

4.88% of GDP (2023 est.)
5% of GDP (2022 est.)
5.59% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

total ports: 2 (2024)

large: 0

medium: 0

small: 1

very small: 0

size unknown: 1

ports with oil terminals: 1

key ports: Belize City, Big Creek

chamber name: House of Representatives

number of seats: 32 (all directly elected)

electoral system: plurality/majority

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 5 years

most recent election date: 3/12/2025

parties elected and seats per party: People's United Party (PUP) (26); United Democratic Party (UDP) (5)

percentage of women in chamber: 9.7%

expected date of next election: March 2030

chamber name: Senate

number of seats: 13 (all appointed)

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 5 years

most recent election date: 12/11/2020

percentage of women in chamber: 28.6%

expected date of next election: March 2025

191,000 (2023 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total: 17.4% (2023 est.)

male: 12.1% (2023 est.)

female: 26.2% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

total: 26.8 years (2024 est.)

male: 26.4 years

female: 27.2 years

$1.287 billion (2023 est.)

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

130 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

$473.729 million (2023 est.)
$482.146 million (2022 est.)
$420.103 million (2021 est.)

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

99% of GDP (2017 est.)

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

2.05 children born/woman (2024 est.)

8.26% (2023 est.)
8.72% (2022 est.)
10.16% (2021 est.)

note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 415,789 (2024 est.)

male: 205,895

female: 209,894

662,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 3 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 662,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total : 22,966 sq km

land: 22,806 sq km

water: 160 sq km

21.34% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

$5.12 billion (2023 est.)
$5.062 billion (2022 est.)
$4.617 billion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

27 (2025)

total: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 10.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total subscriptions: 264,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 66 (2021 est.)

4.39% (2023 est.)
6.28% (2022 est.)
3.24% (2021 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

-$19.753 million (2023 est.)
-$235.566 million (2022 est.)
-$157.868 million (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$12,500 (2023 est.)
$12,600 (2022 est.)
$11,700 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

total: 39,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)

total: 8.5% (2020 est.)

male: 15.1% (2020 est.)

female: 1.8% (2020 est.)

24.1% (2016)

30.752 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

17.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

installed generating capacity: 220,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 595.389 million kWh (2023 est.)

imports: 283.8 million kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 140.519 million kWh (2023 est.)

total: 774 (2023)

by type: bulk carrier 49, general cargo 410, oil tanker 64, other 251

4.6% (2015/16)

$1.573 billion (2023 est.)
$1.574 billion (2022 est.)
$1.249 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

$1.536 billion (2023 est.)
$1.369 billion (2022 est.)
$1.043 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

5 (2025)

total subscriptions: 19,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2022 est.)

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 population: 74.3 years (2024 est.)

male: 72.6 years

female: 76.1 years

1.15% (2023 est.)
9.65% (2022 est.)
17.86% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

-2.48% (2023 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

agriculture: 8.1% (2023 est.)

industry: 14.3% (2023 est.)

services: 62.4% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

0.31% of GDP (2018 est.)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

8.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

1.47% (2024 est.)