Demographics of Belize

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Belize, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Belize's population, 1961-2005.

Belize is the most sparsely populated nation in Central America. It is larger than El Salvador. Slightly more than half of the people live in rural areas. About one-fourth live in Belize City, the principal port, commercial centre, and former capital. About 80% of the population are Christian.

Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. About 34% of the population is of mixed Maya and European descent (Mestizo), 35% are Kriols, about 10.6% are Maya, and about 6.1% are Afro-Amerindian (Garifuna).^[1] 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 German Mennonites settled Belize, most in the isolated areas.

Belize's largest cities and towns by population

1. Belize City, BZ - 57,169
2. San Ignacio, CY - 17,878
3. Belmopan, CY - 13,931
4. Orange Walk Town, OW - 13,709
5. San Pedro, BZ - 11,765
6. Corozal Town, CZ - 10,287
7. Dangriga, SC - 9,591
8. Benque Viejo del Carmen, CY - 6,148
9. Ladyville, BZ - 5,458
10. Punta Gorda, TO - 5,351

- Based on 2010 census.

Population

Population pyramid for Belize (2010).

According to the 2015 revision of the CIA World Fact Book the estimated mid year population of 2016 is 347,369^[2]

Ethnic groups

Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. About 52.9% are Mestizo, 25.9% Creole, 11.3% Maya, 6.1.% Garifuna, 3.9% East Indian, 3.6% Mennonites, 1.2% White, 1% Asian, 1.2% Other and 0.3% Unknown.^[2]

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 German Mennonites settled Belize, most in the isolated areas.

Maya

Because Belize's original Maya peoples were decimated by disease and wars, or fled to Mexico and Guatemala, many 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, Mexico. Their descendants live in the Orange Walk 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. In the 1870s-1880s, many Q'eqchi' fled from Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, where their lands were being stolen for coffee plantations, which then enslaved them. 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.

Population of Belize according to ethnic group^[3][4]

Ethnic group	Census 1946		Census 1991		Census 2000[1]		Census 2010
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Q'eqchi' Maya	10,030	16.9	7,954	4.3	12,366	5.3	17,409	5.7
Mopan Maya			6,770	3.7	8,980	3.9	10,557	3.5
Yucatec/other Maya			5,686	3.1	3,155	1.4	2,141	0.7
Mestizo/Spanish/Latino	18,360	31.0	80,477	43.6	113,045	48.7	150,921	49.7
Creole	22,693	38.3	55,051	29.8	57,859	24.9	63,057	21.8
Black African					582	0.3	1,151	0.4
Garifuna	4,112	6.9	12,274	6.6	14,061	6.1	13,985	4.6
White * German Mennonite * Other white	2,329 0 2,329	3.9 0 3.9	7,257 5,763 1,494	3.9 3.1 0.8	10,034 8,276 1,758	4.3 3.6 0.8	13,964 10,865 3,099	4.6 3.6 1.0
East Indian	1,366	2.3	6,455	3.5	6,868	3.0	7,073	2.3
Chinese/Asians	50	0.1	747	0.4	1,716	0.7	2,823	0.9
Mixed							18,947	6.2
Syrian/Lebanese	128	0.2	167	0.1			240	0.1
Other			1,867	1.0	2,610	1.1	762	0.3
Unknown	152	0.3	17	0.0	835	0.4	392	0.1
Total	59,220		184,722		232,111		324,528

Birth Rate by Ethnic Groups (2000 Census)^[5]

Ethnic Group	Population (2000)	Birth Rate (1999)	Births
African	582	17.18	10
British	1,758	9.10	16
Chinese	1,716	19.23	33
Creole	57,859	28.88	1,671
East Indian	6,868	27.66	190
Garifuna	14,061	27.17	382
Q'eqchi'	12,366	44.88	555
Mopan	8,980	35.30	317
Yucatec	3,155	19.33	61
Mennonite	8,276	42.53	352
Mestizo	78,537	29.73	2,335
Spanish	34,508	32.22	1,112
Other	2,610	21.84	57
Not Available	835	45.51	38
Total	232,111	30.71	7,128

Languages

English is the only official language of Belize due to being a former British colony. It is the main language used in government and education.^[6] 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 (namely Akan, Igbo, and Twi),^[7] and other languages (Miskito, Caliche). 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 of English.

Spanish is the mother tongue of Mestizo and Central American refugees and is commonly spoken at home by 43% of the population. Maya dialects such as Q'eqchi', Mopan and Yucatec are spoken. Garifuna (which is Arawakan/Maipurean based, with elements of the Carib language, French, and Spanish) and the Plautdietsch dialect of the Mennonites are spoke as well. Literacy currently stands at nearly 80%. In 2001, UNESCO declared the Garifuna language, dance, and music a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". 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.

English & Spanish Language Proficiency[1]
Language	Speaks Very Well	Speaks Some	Total
English	54%	26%	80%
Spanish	52%	11%	63%

Languages in Belize^[2]

Language	Percentage
English	62.9%
Spanish	56.6%
Creole	44.6%
Maya	10.5%
German	3.2%
Garifuna	2.9%
Other	1.8%
unknown	0.3%
none (cannot speak)	0.2%

Religion

According to the 2010 census^[8][9] Roman Catholics constitute 40.0% of the population of Belize, down from 49.6% in 2000 and 57.7% in 1991;^[10] Protestants constitute 31.7% of the population, with a slight growth in percentage for some groups since 2000 (8.5% Pentecostal; 5.5% Adventist; 4.6% Anglican; 3.8% Mennonite; 3.6% Baptist; 2.9% Methodist; 2.8% Nazarene); Jehova's Witnesses 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, Obeah and Myalism, and minorities of Mormons, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Baha'is, Rastafarians and other.^[11] The Mennonites, of German 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 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 has a presence in Santa Elena.^[12]

The Constitution of Belize provides for freedom of religion, 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.

Religions in Belize^[2]

Religion	Percentage
Roman Catholic	40.1%
Protestant	31.5%
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 (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Morman, Islam, Rastafarian)	10.5%
Unknown	0.6%
None	15.5%

Vital statistics^[13][14][15]

	Average population (x 1000)	Live births	Deaths	Natural change	Crude birth rate (per 1000)	Crude death rate (per 1000)	Natural change (per 1000)	Total fertility rate[16]	Infant mortality rate[16]
1934	52	1 945	971	974	37.4	18.7	18.7
1935	53	2 081	1 377	704	39.3	26.0	13.3
1936	53	1 879	1 256	623	35.5	23.7	11.8
1937	54	1 876	1 054	822	34.7	19.5	15.2
1938	54	2 052	1 178	874	38.0	21.8	16.2
1939	55	2 084	1 092	992	37.9	19.9	18.0
1940	56	2 192	986	1 206	39.1	17.6	21.5
1941	57	2 133	1 030	1 103	37.4	18.1	19.4
1942	57	1 905	1 250	655	33.4	21.9	11.5
1943	58	1 925	1 136	789	33.2	19.6	13.6
1944	58	2 031	1 153	878	35.0	19.9	15.1
1945	59	2 141	1 204	937	36.3	20.4	15.9
1946	59	2 065	1 019	1 046	35.0	17.3	17.7
1947	61	2 473	1 049	1 424	40.5	17.2	23.3
1948	63	2 506	861	1 645	39.8	13.7	26.1
1949	65	2 548	877	1 671	39.2	13.5	25.7
1950	69	2 657	845	1 812	39.7	12.6	27.0
1951	71	2 905	801	2 104	42.1	11.6	30.5
1952	73	3 028	794	2 234	42.1	11.0	31.0
1953	76	2 986	820	2 166	40.4	11.1	29.3
1954	78	3 231	876	2 355	42.5	11.5	31.0
1955	80	3 463	858	2 605	44.4	11.0	33.4
1956	82	3 725	821	2 904	46.0	10.1	35.9
1957	85	3 615	932	2 683	43.6	11.2	32.3
1958	87	3 988	795	3 193	46.4	9.2	37.1
1959	89	4 016	730	3 286	45.6	8.3	37.3
1960	92	4 091	717	3 374	45.0	7.9	37.1
1961	95	4 244	708	3 536	45.6	7.6	38.0
1962	97	4 461	853	3 608	47.0	9.0	38.0
1963	100	4 783	712	4 071	48.8	7.3	41.5
1964	103	4 568	729	3 839	45.2	7.2	38.0
1965	106	4 637	710	3 927	44.6	6.8	37.8
1966	109	4 898	776	4 122	45.8	7.3	38.5
1967	113	4 851	811	4 040	43.7	7.3	36.4
1968	116	4 671	714	3 957	41.0	6.3	34.7
1969	119	4 660	783	3 877	39.8	6.7	33.1
1970	122	4 455	813	3 642	37.1	6.8	30.4
1971	125	5 052	625	4 427	41.4	5.1	36.3
1972	127	4 954	669	4 285	40.0	5.4	34.6
1973	129	5 010	801	4 303	39.8	6.4	34.2
1974	131	5 039	721	4 379	39.4	5.6	34.2
1975	133	5 201	800	4 401	40.0	6.2	33.9
1976	135	5 340	881	4 459	40.2	6.6	33.5
1977	137	5 570	767	4 803	41.0	5.6	35.3
1978	139	5 384	885	4 499	38.7	6.4	32.4
1979	141	5 523	710	4 813	38.9	5.0	33.9
1980	144	6 264	717	5 547	43.2	4.9	38.3
1981	148	5 821	709	5 112	39.1	4.8	34.3
1982	151	5 899	663	5 236	38.6	4.3	34.3
1983	156	6 044	724	5 320	38.2	4.6	33.6
1984	160	5 756	750	5 006	38.0	4.9	33.0
1985	165	5 916	693	5 223	35.6	4.2	31.5
1986	170	6 136	688	5 448	36.2	4.1	32.1
1987	174	6 121	675	5 446	35.1	3.9	31.3
1988	179	6 325	708	5 617	35.4	4.0	31.4
1989	183	6 686	762	5 924	36.5	4.2	32.3
1990	188	7 200	819	6 381	38.4	4.4	34.0
1991	191	6 555	842	5 713	34.3	4.4	29.9
1992	195	7 597	846	6 751	39.0	4.3	34.6
1993	198	6 462	935	5 527	32.6	4.7	27.9
1994	202	5 887	944	4 943	29.1	4.7	24.4
1995	207	6 623	931	5 692	32.0	4.5	27.5
1996	212	6 678	964	5 714	31.4	4.5	26.9
1997	218	7 348	1 173	6 175	33.6	5.4	28.3
1998	225	6 844	1 350	5 494	30.4	6.0	24.4
1999	232	7 113	1 190	5 923	30.7	5.1	25.5
2000	239	7 313	1 534	5 779	30.7	6.4	24.2
2001	245	7 215	1 261	5 954	29.4	5.1	24.3
2002	252	7 553	1 284	6 269	30.0	5.1	24.9
2003	258	7 440	1 277	6 163	28.8	4.9	23.9
2004	265	8 083	1 298	6 785	30.5	4.9	25.6
2005	283.601	8 396	1 369	7 027	29.6	4.8	24.8	3.6	18.4
2006	291.070	7 171	1 396	5 775	24.6	4.8	19.8	3.0	19.6
2007	298.792	7 036	1 389	5 647	23.5	4.6	18.9	2.9	17.2
2008	306,809	7 126	1 302	5 824	23.2	4.2	19.0	2.8	12.0
2009	315.082	7 417	1 453	5 964	23.5	4.6	18.8		18.9
2010	323.598	7 228	1 554	5 674	22.3	4.8	17.5		13.6
2011	332.084	7 217	1 554	5 663	21.7	4.7	17.1		16.5
2012	340.792		1 535			4.5
2013	349.728
2014	358.899
2015	370.300

Structure of the population^[17]

Structure of the population (01.07.2013) (Estimates) :

Age Group	Male	Female	Total	%
Total	174 865	174 863	349 728	100
0-4	20 930	20 098	41 028	11,73
5-9	21 432	21 121	42 553	12,17
10-14	20 462	20 430	40 892	11,69
15-19	18 800	18 783	37 583	10,75
20-24	16 271	16 855	33 126	9,47
25-29	13 908	14 840	28 748	8,22
30-34	12 024	12 746	24 770	7,08
35-39	10 950	11 480	22 430	6,41
40-44	9 348	9 462	18 810	5,38
45-49	8 282	7 937	16 219	4,64
50-54	6 448	6 265	12 713	3,64
55-59	4 884	4 486	9 370	2,68
60-64	3 569	3 181	6 750	1,93
65-69	2 537	2 231	4 768	1,36
70-74	2 009	1 781	3 790	1,08
75-79	1 411	1 369	2 780	0,79
80+	1 600	1 798	3 398	0,97

Age group	Male	Female	Total	Percent
0-14	62 824	61 649	124 473	35,59
15-64	104 484	106 035	210 519	60,20
65+	7 557	7 179	14 736	4,21

See also

• Kriols
• Garifuna people
• Maya peoples
• Indians in Belize
• Ethnic groups in Central America

References

1. "Belize 2000 Housing and Population Census". Belize Central Statistical Office. 2000. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
2. "Central America and Caribbean :: BELIZE". CIA The World Factbook.
3. UN Demographic Yearbooks
4. http://www.statisticsbelize.org.bz/dms20uc/dynamicdata/docs/20110505004542_2.pdf
5. http://celade.cepal.org/cgibin/RpWebEngine.exe/PortalAction?&MODE=MAIN&BASE=CPVBLZ2000&MAIN=WebServerMain.inl
6. "Belize: Language and Religion". MSN Encarta Encyclopedia. Microsoft Corporation. Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
7. http://www.kriol.org.bz/
8. "2010 Census of Belize Overview". 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
9. "2010 Census of Belize Detailed Demographics of 2000 and 2010". 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
10. Belize 2000 Census.
11. Clifton L. Holland. Population of Belize by Religion: 1970-2000. PROLADES.
12. Orthodox Church of Belize homepage
13. United nations. Demographic Yearbooks
14. Statistical Institute of Belize
15. http://caricomstats.org/Files/Databases/Demography/BZ.pdf
17. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm

External links

• Q'eqchi' and Mopan history - Maya history by Native Planet