This article is a

demography Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings. Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as ed ...

of the

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using ...

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...

including

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

ethnicity An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

is the most sparsely populated nation in

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

. It is larger than

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...

. Slightly more than half of the people live in rural areas. About one-fourth live in

Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, w ...

, the principal port, commercial centre, and former capital. About 80% of the population are

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

. Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. About 52.9% of the population is of mainly Indigenous descent (mostly

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a popu ...

) and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

an descent (

Indigenous Latino Indigenous may refer to: * Indigenous peoples * Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehor ...

), 24.9% are Kriols, about 10.6% are Maya, and about 6.1% are Afro-Amerindian (

Garifuna The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian C ...

). The remaining population includes European, East Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and North American groups. In the case of Europeans, most are descendants of Spanish and British colonial settlers, whether pure-blooded or mixed with each other. Most Spanish left the nation just after it was taken by the British colonists who, in the same way, left after independence. Dutch and Prussian

Mennonites Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Ra ...

settled in Belize, mostly in isolated areas.

Belize's largest cities and towns by population

, BZ - 67,169 #

San Ignacio San Ignacio (the Spanish language name of St. Ignatius (disambiguation), St. Ignatius) is a common toponym in parts of the world where that language is or was spoken: Argentina * San Ignacio, Argentina, Misiones Province * San Ignacio Miní, a ...

, CY - 27,878 #

Belmopan Belmopan () is the capital city of Belize. Its population in 2010 was 16,451. In addition to being the smallest capital city in the continental Americas by population, Belmopan is the third-largest settlement in Belize, behind Belize City and Sa ...

, CY - 19,931 #

Orange Walk Town Orange Walk Town is the fourth largest town in Belize, with a population of about 13,400 (Official Release of the Main Findings of the 2010 Population and Housing Census). It is the capital of the Orange Walk District. Orange Walk Town is locat ...

, OW - 16,709 #

Corozal Town Corozal Town is a town in Belize, capital of Corozal District. Corozal Town is located about 84 miles north of Belize City, and 9 miles from the border with Mexico. The population of Corozal Town, according to the main results of the 2010 census ...

, CZ - 13,400 # San Pedro, BZ - 11,765 #

Dangriga Dangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of the North Stann Creek River. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District. Dangriga is served by the Dangriga Airpo ...

, SC - 9,591 #

Benque Viejo del Carmen Benque Viejo del Carmen ("Benque") is the westernmost town in Belize, by road west and south of Belize City, at the Guatemalan border. San Ignacio lies 13 km to the east and Melchor de Mencos just across the border. The Mopan River runs al ...

, CY - 6,148 # Punta Gorda, TO - 6,351 - Based on 2010 census.

Population

According to the Statistical Institute of Belize, the current population stands at 441,471. In conjunction with a census of the British Empire, census data was compiled for Belize in 1790, 1816, 1823, 1826, 1829, 1832, 1835, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, 1921, 1931 and 1946. Belize conducted its own censuses in 1960, 1970, 1980, 1991, 2000, 2010, and 2022. The results of the 2022 census are scheduled to be published in 2023.

Ethnic groups

Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. About 52.9% are

Mestizo (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed European and Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturally European even though thei ...

, 25.9% Creole, 11.3%

, 6.1.%

, 3.9% East Indian, 3.6%

, 1.2%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 1% Asian, 1.2% Other and 0.3% Unknown. Most Europeans are descendants of Spanish and British colonial settlers. Most Spanish left the nation just after it was taken by the British colonists who, in the same way, left after independence. Beginning in 1958, Plautdietsch-speaking

of "Russian" Mennonite and

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-sp ...

heritage settled in Belize, mostly in isolated areas.

Maya

Because Belize's original Maya peoples were decimated by disease and wars or fled to Mexico and Guatemala, most of the country's Maya today are descended from other groups. The current Maya population consists mainly of three language groups. The Yucatec fled to Belize in the late 1840s to escape the Caste War in

Yucatán Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate mun ...

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

. Their descendants live in the

Orange Walk Orange marches are a series of parades by members of the Orange Order and other Protestant fraternal societies, held during the summer months in various Commonwealth nations, most notably Ulster. The parades typically build up to 12 July ...

and Corozal districts, which border on Mexico. Before the massive migration of Yucatec Maya from Mexico to Belize, a local Yucatec Maya group named the Iciache Maya already inhabited the land. Today most Yucatec Maya work in the sugar cane industry. In the 1870s-1880s, many Q'eqchi' fled from Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, where their communal land were seizured for coffee plantations, where they were forced into service. They settled villages in the Toledo district. Living near rivers and streams, they are primarily farmers, though many younger people now work in tourism, and on shrimp, banana and citrus plantations. The Mopans originated in Belize, but most were driven out to Guatemala after the British displaced Spanish in a struggle that took most of the 18th century. They returned to Belize in 1886, running from enslavement and taxation in Petén. The Cayo district and San Antonio in the Toledo district are their homes now. Q'eqchi' and Mopan have intermarried, though the two languages remain distinct and mutually unintelligible. Mopan and Yucatec are mutually intelligible. Birth Rate per 1,000 population by Ethnic Groups (2000 Census)

Vital statistics

Languages

English is the only official language of Belize, a relic of past British colonization. It is the main language used in government and education. Although only 5.6% of the population speaks it as the main language at home, 54% can speak it very well, and another 26% can speak some English. 37% of Belizeans consider their primary language to be Kriol, an English-based creole of words and syntax from various

African languages The languages of Africa are divided into several major language families: * Niger–Congo or perhaps Atlantic–Congo languages (includes Bantu and non-Bantu, and possibly Mande and others) are spoken in West, Central, Southeast and Southern ...

(namely Akan, Igbo, and Twi), and other languages ( Miskito,

Caliche Caliche () is a sedimentary rock, a hardened natural cement of calcium carbonate that binds other materials—such as gravel, sand, clay, and silt. It occurs worldwide, in aridisol and mollisol soil orders—generally in arid or semiarid regio ...

). It is also a second or third language for another 40% of the multilingual country. Kriol shares similarities with many Caribbean English Creoles as far as phonology and pronunciations are concerned. Also, many of its words and structures are both lexically and phonologically similar to English, its superstrate language. Because it is English-based, all Kriol speakers can understand English. A number of linguists classify Belizean Kriol as a separate language, while others consider it to be a

dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that ...

of English. Spanish is the mother tongue of Mestizo and Central American

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

s and is commonly spoken at home by 43% of the population. Maya dialects such as Q'eqchi', Mopan and Yucatec are spoken.

(which is Arawakan/ Maipurean based, with elements of the Carib language, French, and Spanish) and the Plautdietsch and

Pennsylvania German The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-sp ...

dialects of the Mennonites are spoken as well. Literacy currently stands at nearly 80%. In 2001,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

declared the Garifuna language, dance, and music a "

Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness of intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and th ...

". English is the primary language of public education, with Spanish taught in primary and secondary school as well. Bilingualism is highly encouraged, and therefore, very common.

Religion

According to the 2010 census

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

constitute 40.0% of the population of Belize, down from 49.6% in 2000 and 57.7% in 1991;

Protestants Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

constitute 31.7% of the population, with a slight growth in percentage for some groups since 2000 (8.5%

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

; 5.5% Adventist; 4.6% Anglican; 3.8%

Mennonite Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Ra ...

; 3.6%

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christianity, Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe ...

; 2.9%

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...

; 2.8% Nazarene);

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved ...

are 1.7% of the population. 10.2% of Belizeans follow other religions (with a growth in percentage since 2000); amongst these there are followers of the indigenous Maya religion,

Garifuna religion The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian Creol ...

, Obeah and Myalism, and minorities of

Mormons Mormons are a Religious denomination, religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the mov ...

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Buddhists Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and g ...

, Muslims, Baháʼís, Rastafarians and other. The

, of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

descent, live mostly in the rural districts of Cayo and Orange Walk. 15.6% of the Belizean population do not adhere to any religion, up from 9.4% in 2000. Belizean Roman Catholic churches belong to the Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan; Anglican churches belong to the Diocese of Belize, part of the Church in the Province of the West Indies.

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global po ...

is followed by most Indian immigrants, while Islam is common among Middle Eastern immigrants and has gained a following among some Kriols. Catholics frequently visit the country for special gospel revivals. The

Greek Orthodox Church The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also call ...

has a presence in Santa Elena. The Constitution of Belize provides for

freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedo ...

, and other laws and policies contribute to the generally free practice of religion. The Government at all levels protects this right in full against abuse, either by governmental or private actors. The Government generally respects religious freedom in practice. In 2008, the U.S. government received no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice.

Structure of the population

Life expectancy at birth

Source: ''UN World Population Prospects''

Other demographics statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2022. *One birth every 65 minutes *One death every 288 minutes *One net migrant every 480 minutes *Net gain of one person every 72 minutes Demographic statistics according to the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Population

:412,387 (2022 est.) :385,854 (July 2018 est.)

Ethnic groups

: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

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

Age structure

Belize single age population pyramid 2020

:0-14 years: 32.57% (male 66,454/female 63,700) :15-24 years: 19% (male 39,238/female 36,683) :25-54 years: 37.72% (male 73,440/female 77,300) :55-64 years: 6.18% (male 12,235/female 12,444) :65 years and over: 4.53% (male 8,781/female 9,323) (2020 est.) :''0-14 years:'' 33.61% (male 66,207 /female 63,466) :''15-24 years:'' 18.74% (male 37,184 /female 35,127) :''25-54 years:'' 37.43% (male 70,222 /female 74,187) :''55-64 years:'' 5.88% (male 11,397 /female 11,284) :''65 years and over:'' 4.35% (male 8,293 /female 8,487) (2018 est.)

Median age

:total: 23.9 years. Country comparison to the world: 172nd :male: 23 years :female: 24.8 years (2020 est.) :total: 23.7 years. Country comparison to the world: 168th :male: 23.2 years :female: 24.4 years (2018 est.)

Birth rate

:21.28 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 64th :22.9 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 63rd

Death rate

:3.94 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 216th :4.2 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 206th

Total fertility rate The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if: # she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through her lifetime # she were t ...

:2.62 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 64th :2.8 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 60th

Net migration rate

:-0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 143rd :-0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 129th

Population growth rate

:1.64% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 58th :1.8% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 57th

Contraceptive prevalence rate

:51.4% (2015/16)

Dependency ratios

:total dependency ratio: 56.8 (2015 est.) :youth dependency ratio: 50.9 (2015 est.) :elderly dependency ratio: 5.9 (2015 est.) : potential support ratio: 17 (2015 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 Baháʼí, Buddhist, Hindu, Mormon, Muslim, Rastafarian, Salvation Army), unspecified 0.6%, none 15.5% (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

:total population: 75.82 years. Country comparison to the world: 114th :male: 74.23 years :female: 77.5 years (2022 est.) :total population: 74.7 years :male: 73.1 years :female: 76.3 years (2018 est.)

Urbanization

:urban population: 46.4% of total population (2022) :rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) :urban population: 45.7% of total population (2018) :rate of urbanization: 2.32% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Education expenditures

:7.9% of GDP (2020) Country comparison to the world: 11st

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

:total: 13 years :male: 13 years :female: 13 years (2020)

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24

:total: 19.3% :male: 12.7% :female: 28.5% (2019 est.)

References

External links

Q'eqchi' and Mopan history
- Maya history by Native Planet {{Use dmy dates, date=March 2017

Belize's largest cities and towns by population

Population

Ethnic groups

Maya

Vital statistics

Languages

Religion

Structure of the population

Life expectancy at birth

Other demographics statistics

Population

Ethnic groups

Languages

Age structure

Median age

Birth rate

Death rate

Total fertility rate The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if: # she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through her lifetime # she were t ...

Net migration rate

Population growth rate

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Dependency ratios

Religions

Life expectancy at birth

Urbanization

Education expenditures

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24

See also

References

External links