Source
Central bank

Central Bank of Belize

International Reserves

USD 0.29 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 1.9 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 3.4 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
1.1% 3.2% 0.7% 3.4% 2.2% 2.9% 0.9%
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*    
3.7% 3.4% -0.6% 1.4% 3%    

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 4,862.1 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 8,500.9 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2019*
0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.002%

*Estimate

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 10.8% 
  • industry: 13.4%
  • services: 62.9%

(2017 estimate)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

Inflation
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-0.9% 0.7% 1.1% 0.3% 1.2%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
10.1% 8% 9% 8.7% 9.9%

*Estimate

Household saving rates

N/A

 

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019
79.3% 93.2% 94.5% 95.2% 93%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019*
-6.3% -5.9% -5.6% -1% -1.1%

*Estimate

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: B-

Moody's: B3

Standard & Poor's / Moody's 

Market value of publicly traded shares
2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A
Largest companies

N/A

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD -0.2 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-8.1 % (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

54.2% (2017)

Shares in world total merchandising export

0.002% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export

0.01% (2018)

Total exports

USD 1.1 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities

Sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood, crude oil

Total imports

USD 1.1 billion (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco

Exports - major partners

UK 33.9%, US 22%, Jamaica 6.7%, Italy 6.4%, Barbados 5.9%, Ireland 5.5%, Netherlands 4.3% (2017)

Imports - major partners

US 35.6%, China 11.2%, Mexico 11.2%, Guatemala 6.9% (2017)

FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 44 million USD 24 million USD 120 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 1.7 million USD 0.3 million USD 0.7 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2015 2016 2017 2018
USD 10 million USD 17 million USD 3 million N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

135 out of 190 countries

​Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 166 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 123 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 91 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 137 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 173 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 157 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 60 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 114 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 135 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 91 out of 190 countries

Global competitiveness ranking

N/A

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 123 / Score: 55.4 (Mostly unfree)

(2019)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC-6

Total area

22,966 sq km

Capital

Belmopan

Currency

Belizean dollars (BZD)

Government type

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

Languages

English 62.9% (official), Spanish 56.6%, Creole 44.6%, Maya 10.5%, German 3.2%, Garifuna 2.9%, other 1.8%, unknown 0.3%, none 0.2% (cannot speak) (2010 est.)

Religions

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, Mormon, Musl

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015* 2020*
0.19 million 0.25 million 0.32 million 0.37 million 0.42 million

*Estimate

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
54% 49.4% 45.4% 45.7%
Population median age

23.7 years 

Population growth rate

1.8% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

74.7 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

N/A

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

N/A

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

N/A

Freedom House rating

Free
Political Rights: 1
Civil Liberties: 2 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 5.4%

Mobile: 85.5%

(2018)

(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

47.08 % (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

N/A

CO2 emissions

1.4 metric tons per capita (2014)

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