Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Belize: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #117 of 195).
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. The country's capital is Belmopan; it covers 22,966 sq km. Independence: 21 September 1981 (from the UK). 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). Population: 422,000 (2025 estimate). Population growth: +1.47% per year. Median age: 27.2 years. Life expectancy: 74.3 years (2024 est.). Languages: English 62.9% (official), Spanish 56.6%, Creole 44.6%, Maya 10.5%, German 3.2%, Garifuna 2.9%…
| 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% |
| Unemployment | 7.0% |
| 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 |
| 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.) |
MCB · 45/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ 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.
Timber, Hydropower.
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 |
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. |
MCB · 45 Ranked #117 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Belize.
