Belize — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Belize: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Belize is a parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm in Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico. It covers 22,966 sq km. Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south. Climate: tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May).
| Capital | Belmopan |
|---|---|
| Population | 421,960 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $5.538 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $13,300 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 8.2% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 3.3% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 7% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 99% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $1.64 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $1.724 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 74.3 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 27.2 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 46.6% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Independence | 21 September 1981 (from the UK) |
| Languages | English 62.9% (official), Spanish 56.6%, Creole 44.6%, Maya 10.5%, German 3.2%, Garifuna 2.9%, other 1.8%, unknown 0.5% (2010 est.) |
Belize’s GDP is $5.538 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $3.516 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 8.2% (2024 est.). See where Belize ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 3.3%; 89% of its electricity from low-carbon sources
- What drags it down: public debt above 99% of GDP — the budget's ball and chain
Timber, Hydropower.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 98.6% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | 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.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 30.752 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 3.7 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 0.5 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 9,013 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Hydro 53.3%, Oil 11.1%, Solar 2.2% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 88.9% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 155.6 gCO2/kWh (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $1.64 billion (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $1.724 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $84.0 million (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Johnny Briceño — Prime Minister. King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General Froyla TZALAM (since 27 May 2021)
Belize maintains 11 embassies and 2 consulates abroad, hosts 13 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, OAS Washington. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 11 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 2 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 13 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, OAS Washington |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, diplomatic & consular networks database, Mar 2026 report (of-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18917562 ; Jan 2026 report (in-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 386 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 27 + 5 heliports (registration prefix V3) |
| Major seaports | Belize City, Big Creek |
Major airports
Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) — Belize City; Caye Caulker Airport (CUK) — Caye Caulker; Caye Chapel Airport (CYC) — Caye Chapel; Corozal Airport (CZH) — Corozal; Dangriga Airport (DGA) — Dangriga; John Greif II Airport (SPR) — San Pedro; Placencia Airport (PLJ) — Placencia; Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airport (TZA) — Belize City.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Belize.
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Belize — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Belize's power score?
Belize has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.