Small beach town in Belize

Belize Economic Data & Projections

Belize's Macroeconomic Analysis:

Nominal GDP of USD 2.8 billion in 2022.

Nominal GDP of USD 2.8 billion in 2022.

GDP per capita of USD 6,376 compared to the global average of USD 10,589.

GDP per capita of USD 6,356 compared to the global average of USD 10,589.

Average real GDP growth of 2.9% over the last decade.

Average real GDP growth of 2.7% over the last decade.

Share of the region's population
Share of the region's GDP

Sector Analysis

In 2021, services accounted for 76% of overall GDP, manufacturing 5%, other industrial activity 8%, and agriculture 11%. Looking at GDP by expenditure, private consumption accounted for 71% of GDP in 2021, government consumption 13%, fixed investment 21%, and net exports -5%.

GDP by economic sector
GDP by type of expenditure

International trade

In 2021, manufactured products made up 3% of total merchandise exports, mineral fuels 2%, food 93%, ores and metals 1% and agricultural raw materials 1%, with other categories accounting for 0% of the total. In the same period, manufactured products made up 64% of total merchandise imports, mineral fuels 13%, food 21%, ores and metals 1% and agricultural raw materials 2%, with other goods accounting for -1% of the total. Total exports were worth USD 1 billion in 2022, while total imports were USD 1 billion.

Key exports
Key imports
Key export partners
Key import partners

Main Economic Indicators

Economic growth

The economy recorded average annual growth of 2.8% in the decade to 2022. To read more about GDP growth in Belize, go to our dedicated page.

Fiscal policy

Belize's fiscal deficit averaged 3.0% of GDP in the decade to 2022. Find out more on our dedicated page.

Unemployment

The unemployment rate averaged 10.6% in the decade to 2022. For more information on Belize's unemployment click here.

Inflation

Inflation averaged 1.3% in the decade to 2022. Go to our Belize inflation page for extra insight.

Monetary Policy

Belize's monetary policy rate ended 2022 at 11.00%, on the same level as a decade earlier. See our Belize monetary policy page for additional details.

Exchange Rate

From end-2012 to end-2022 the Belize dollar stayed on the same level vs the U.S. dollar. For more info on the Belize dollar, click here.

Economic situation in Belize

The economy gained traction in the second quarter in annual terms on the back of faster momentum in the construction and energy sectors plus rebounding agricultural and manufacturing output. Meanwhile, the services sector lost some steam, although it still rose over 10% year on year. Turning to H2, available data hints at sturdy economic growth. Inflation fell to an over three-year low in Q3 and slowed further in October, supporting household purchasing power. Moreover, on the external front, goods exports rebounded sharply in Q3 after shrinking for two years straight. That said, the key tourism sector has lost steam so far in H2, boding ill for momentum in services; the annual growth of overnight arrivals slowed to 14.5% in July–October (H1: +26.8% yoy).

Belize Economic Forecasts

Projections out to 2034.

41 indicators covered including both annual and quarterly frequencies.

Consensus Forecasts based on a panel of 6 expert analysts.

Want to get insight on the economic outlook for Belize in the coming years? FocusEconomics collects projections out to 2034 on 41 economic indicators for Belize from a panel of 6 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts, and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. This means you avoid the risk of relying on out of date, biased or outlier forecasts. Our Consensus Forecasts can be visualized in whichever way best suits your needs, including via interactive online dashboards , direct data delivery and executive-style reports which combine analysts' projections with timely written analysis from our in-house team of economists on the latest developments in the Belize economy. To download a sample report on the Belize's economy, click here. To get in touch with our team for more information, fill in the form at the bottom of this page.

Belize Economic Indicators

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Population (million) 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
GDP (USD bn) 2.4 2.0 2.4 2.8 3.0
GDP per Capita (USD) 6,140 5,159 6,021 7,117 7,533
GDP (BZD bn) 4.8 4.1 4.8 5.7 6.1
Economic Growth (Nominal GDP, ann. var. %) 4.1 -14.5 18.5 17.6 7.7
Economic Growth (GDP, ann. var. %) 4.1 -13.9 17.7 9.7 1.1
Private Consumption (ann. var. %) 4.2 -12.0 15.5 9.9 2.0
Government Consumption (ann. var. %) 0.5 -24.1 16.6 6.6 2.9
Fixed Investment (ann. var. %) 5.6 -10.5 26.2 12.8 7.1
Exports (G&S, ann. var. %) 5.3 -29.7 35.9 14.3 10.9
Imports (G&S, ann. var. %) 5.3 -22.9 32.2 10.3 -2.4
Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) -2.9 -8.6 -3.3 -0.5 -
Public Debt (% of GDP) 78.5 103.0 82.3 67.1 -
Inflation (CPI, ann. var. %, aop) 0.2 0.1 3.2 6.3 4.4
Weighted Average Lending Rate (%, eop) 8.76 8.53 8.68 8.72 8.42
Exchange Rate (BZD per USD, eop) 2.02 2.02 2.02 2.02 2.02
Current Account Balance (USD bn) -0.2 -0.1 -0.2 -0.2 0.0
Current Account Balance (% of GDP) -7.7 -6.3 -6.5 -8.3 -0.6
Merchandise Trade Balance (USD bn) -0.5 -0.4 -0.5 -0.7 -0.8
Merchandise Exports (USD bn) 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.5
Merchandise Imports (USD bn) 1.0 0.7 0.9 1.2 1.3
Merchandise Exports (ann. var. %) 1.4 -32.1 46.2 22.7 -5.7
Merchandise Imports (ann. var. %) 5.6 -24.5 30.7 28.0 3.4
Foreign Direct Investment (USD bn) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0
International Reserves (USD bn) 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.5
International Reserves (months of imports) 3.5 5.8 5.3 4.8 4.5
External Debt (USD bn) 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
External Debt (% of GDP) 58.1 75.3 60.4 52.0 49.6
Free Sample Report

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