Latin America & Caribbean · Upper middle income

Belize: the economy in numbers

Per person: $7,865, or $14,966 at purchasing power parity. Population: 422,924 (2025).

$3.33B+2.7%real GDP growth, 2025

GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #176 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +1.9%.

GDP per capita

$7,865

2025 · #110 of 204

GDP per capita, PPP

$14,966

2025 · #122 of 197

Inflation

1.1%

2025 · IMF forecast 2026: 3.5%

Government debt

66.9%

2025 · % of GDP, general government

Population

423K

2025 · #174 of 217

Unemployment

8.9%

2025 · ILO estimate

Life expectancy

73.7 years

2024

GDP

Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $306 million in 1960, $3.33 billion in 2025.

Current US dollars; “In 2025 dollars” removes US inflationSource: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

GDP per capita

In 2025 dollars: $3,349 per person in 1960, $7,865 in 2025.

GDP per capitaGDP per capita, PPP (international $)

PPP: purchasing power parity, international dollarsSource: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Real GDP growth

Average over 2016–2025: 2.1% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 10 of 65.

Shaded: IMF forecasts from 2026Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)

Inflation

Consumer prices rose by 49.2% from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 11.2% in 1981.

Shaded: IMF forecasts from 2026Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)

Government debt, % of GDP

Highest since 2001: 102.6% of GDP in 2020. IMF forecast for 2031: 65.4%.

General government (IMF)Central government only (World Bank)

Shaded: IMF forecasts from 2026Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Population

1960: 91,318 · 2025: 422,924.

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Unemployment rate

1991: 9.6% · 2025: 8.9%.

% of the labor force, ILO modeled estimatesSource: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Life expectancy at birth

1960: 57.4 years · 2024: 73.7 years.

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Exports of goods and services

1980: 34.6% · 2024: 55.2%.

% of GDPSource: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Data by year

Show the year-by-year table

Year	GDP	GDP per capita	Per capita, PPP	Real growth	Inflation	Gov. debt, % GDP	Population	Unemployment	Life expectancy	Exports, % GDP
2031				2.0%^f	1.3%^f	65.4%^f
2030				2.0%^f	1.3%^f	65.8%^f
2029				2.0%^f	1.3%^f	66.3%^f
2028				2.0%^f	1.3%^f	66.5%^f
2027				2.0%^f	2.4%^f	65.8%^f
2026				1.9%^f	3.5%^f	64.6%^f
2025	$3.33B	$7,865	$14,966	2.7%	1.1%	66.9%	423K	8.9%
2024	$3.2B	$7,681	$14,367	3.5%	3.3%	64.3%	417K	8.7%	73.7	55.2%
2023	$3.05B	$7,425	$13,741	0.5%	4.4%	66.6%	411K	8.3%	73.6	54.9%
2022	$2.85B	$7,068	$13,459	9.3%	6.3%	66.2%	403K	8.7%	72.2	52.6%
2021	$2.43B	$6,143	$11,716	18.0%	3.2%	81.8%	395K	10.3%	70.9	47.6%
2020	$2.05B	$5,239	$9,639	−13.5%	0.1%	102.6%	391K	10.8%	71.6	37.6%
2019	$2.38B	$6,172	$10,500	4.3%	0.2%	78.4%	386K	9.1%	72.6	52.0%
2018	$2.29B	$6,012	$9,497	0.8%	0.3%	78.8%	380K	9.3%	72.3	51.7%
2017	$2.27B	$6,072	$9,121	−1.8%	1.1%	78.1%	373K	6.6%	72.1	49.8%
2016	$2.24B	$6,141	$9,399	−0.0%	0.7%	70.5%	365K	7.0%	71.8	47.3%
2015	$2.19B	$6,155	$9,538	2.8%	−0.9%	65.1%	356K	7.6%	71.6	51.6%
2014	$2.14B	$6,128	$9,490	3.9%	1.2%	61.5%	349K	8.2%	71.4	55.5%
2013	$2.04B	$5,957	$9,526	4.1%	0.5%	62.8%	342K	8.3%	71.3	56.0%
2012	$1.92B	$5,733	$9,303	3.9%	1.3%	63.1%	334K	8.4%	71.1	59.3%
2011	$1.83B	$5,596	$9,722	−0.1%	1.6%	66.2%	327K	8.4%	71.0	56.7%
2010	$1.75B	$5,461	$9,748	1.4%	0.9%	68.4%	320K	8.4%	70.9	50.6%
2009	$1.69B	$5,400	$9,728	−0.4%	−1.1%	69.7%	313K	8.3%	70.8	45.4%
2008	$1.74B	$5,712	$9,975	−1.6%	6.4%	64.7%	304K	8.2%	70.7	53.8%
2007	$1.71B	$5,762	$10,226	3.3%	2.3%	66.4%	296K	8.5%	70.7	50.6%
2006	$1.59B	$5,525	$9,910	4.5%	−7.1%	71.4%	288K	9.4%	70.5	51.8%
2005	$1.47B	$5,270	$9,466	2.2%	−1.1%	72.7%	280K	10.9%	70.3	45.7%
2004	$1.4B	$5,154	$9,245	4.8%	6.4%	70.7%	272K	10.6%	70.2	42.3%
2003	$1.31B	$4,960	$8,850	9.7%	2.3%	67.2%	264K	10.3%	69.8	44.6%
2002	$1.24B	$4,859	$8,154	5.4%	4.2%	53.2%	256K	10.0%	69.5	43.6%
2001	$1.17B	$4,719	$7,852	5.0%	3.7%	49.5%	248K	9.1%	68.9	41.9%
2000	$1.14B	$4,727	$7,544	12.2%	3.1%		241K	10.8%	68.9	42.9%
1999	$1,000M	$4,290	$6,790	9.4%	2.6%		233K	12.8%	69.0	44.1%
1998	$929M	$4,126	$6,333	3.9%	2.2%		225K	14.3%	68.9	43.2%
1997	$873M	$4,014	$6,243	4.2%	1.1%		217K	12.7%	69.2	43.8%
1996	$850M	$4,043	$6,087	1.1%	6.0%		210K	13.8%	69.4	41.8%
1995	$819M	$4,010	$6,091	0.7%	2.9%		204K	12.5%	69.5	40.2%
1994	$772M	$3,877	$6,073	−0.0%	2.6%		199K	11.1%	69.6	41.5%
1993	$752M	$3,860	$6,075	6.1%	1.5%		195K	9.8%	69.6	38.5%
1992	$696M	$3,643	$5,706	12.7%	2.4%		191K	9.7%	69.6	41.0%
1991	$597M	$3,190	$5,053	11.8%	0.8%		187K	9.6%	69.6	36.0%
1990	$547M	$2,986	$4,467	11.3%	3.1%		183K		69.6	40.8%
1989	$491M	$2,742		13.0%	2.1%		179K		69.5	35.2%
1988	$421M	$2,406		9.8%	3.1%		175K		69.4	38.2%
1987	$371M	$2,166		10.7%	2.0%		171K		69.1	37.2%
1986	$312M	$1,859		4.5%	0.8%		168K		68.7	33.5%
1985	$287M	$1,754		1.0%	6.2%		164K		68.3	29.1%
1984	$290M	$1,814		2.0%	3.4%		160K		68.0	37.4%
1983	$262M	$1,677		−2.1%	5.0%		156K		67.6	29.2%
1982	$249M	$1,629		−0.1%	6.8%		153K		67.3	28.5%
1981	$261M	$1,753		1.1%	11.2%		149K		67.1	32.6%
1980	$257M	$1,774		12.1%	7.1%		145K		66.9	34.6%
1979	$152M	$1,071		7.5%			142K		66.7
1978	$136M	$983		7.9%			139K		66.3
1977	$118M	$866		6.5%			136K		66.1
1976	$97.1M	$729		−0.0%			133K		65.8
1975	$118M	$906		3.6%			130K		65.4
1974	$103M	$805		13.6%			128K		64.9
1973	$78.2M	$619		5.4%			126K		64.5
1972	$66M	$529		10.2%			125K		64.0
1971	$59.1M	$481		4.0%			123K		63.5
1970	$53.3M	$442		4.8%			121K		63.0
1969	$47.4M	$402		5.1%			118K		62.5
1968	$45M	$392		7.4%			115K		62.0
1967	$47.4M	$426		4.9%			111K		61.4
1966	$44.5M	$412		4.8%			108K		60.9
1965	$40.1M	$383		4.9%			105K		60.4
1964	$36.2M	$356		5.0%			102K		59.8
1963	$33.8M	$342		5.0%			98.7K		59.3
1962	$31.9M	$332		4.9%			96K		58.7
1961	$30M	$320		4.9%			93.6K		52.9
1960	$28.1M	$307					91.3K		57.4

e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast. Inflation: IMF data for 1980, World Bank for the other years.

Nearby economies in Latin America & Caribbean

Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.

Honduras

$3,598 per person (2025)

Guatemala

$6,598 per person (2025)

El Salvador

$5,767 per person (2025)

Nicaragua

$3,173 per person (2025)

Cayman Islands

$104,293 per person (2024)

Cuba

$9,605 per person (2020)

Costa Rica

$19,970 per person (2025)

Mexico

$13,889 per person (2025)

Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Aruba · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Bolivia · Brazil · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Chile · Colombia · Costa Rica · Cuba · Curaçao · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · Grenada · Guatemala · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama · Paraguay · Peru · Puerto Rico · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Martin (French part) · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Sint Maarten · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago · Turks and Caicos Islands · U.S. Virgin Islands · Uruguay · Venezuela

Rankings

GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country

Data and methods

GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)