Belize Population
Belize had an estimated population of 422,924 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 174th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.01% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +1.39% a year.
Belize at a glance
How Belize's population is changing
Belize's population is growing: +1.39% a year, which works out to about +5,893 people per year, or +16 a day. Births (18.1 per 1,000) and deaths (5.0 per 1,000) alone would give +1.31% a year; net migration adds about 360 people a year (+0.09%). Roughly one in every 19,425 people on Earth lives in Belize.
Population of Belize since 1960
In 1960, Belize had 91,318 people. By 2025 that was 422,924 — 4.6× larger. The fastest growth came between 1995 and 2005, when the population rose by 37%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 91,318 | — |
| 1970 | 120,736 | +32.2% |
| 1980 | 145,062 | +20.1% |
| 1990 | 183,076 | +26.2% |
| 2000 | 240,799 | +31.5% |
| 2010 | 320,245 | +33.0% |
| 2020 | 390,812 | +22.0% |
| 2025 | 422,924 | +8.2% |
Belize from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Belize at about 25,526 people in 1800; the UN estimates 422,927 in 2025 (17× 1800) and projects 447,380 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2063 at 528,022 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 25,526 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 25,881 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 37,771 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 69,085 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 240,809 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 422,927 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 516,628 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 516,667 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 447,380 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Belize
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 422,924. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belize City | 75,592 | UN urban centre | 17.87% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | San Ignacio | 21,229 | GeoNames settlement | 5.02% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 3 | San Pedro | 17,429 | GeoNames settlement | 4.12% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Orange Walk | 15,298 | GeoNames settlement | 3.62% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 5 | Belmopan | 13,381 | GeoNames settlement | 3.16% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Dangriga | 9,927 | GeoNames settlement | 2.35% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Corozal | 9,815 | GeoNames settlement | 2.32% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Santa Elena | 8,587 | GeoNames settlement | 2.03% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Ladyville | 7,655 | GeoNames settlement | 1.81% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Benque Viejo el Carmen | 7,160 | GeoNames settlement | 1.69% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Belize compares
Belize has almost the same population as Bahamas (403,033).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Belize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #172 |  Cape Verde | 527,326 | +25% | compare → |
| #173 |  Brunei | 466,330 | +10% | compare → |
| #175 |  Bahamas | 403,033 | −5% | compare → |
| #176 |  Iceland | 392,404 | −7% | compare → |
Compare Belize with any country →
Same region (Latin America & Caribbean): Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela.
Explore around Belize
Land neighbours (2)
Mexico 131,946,900 · 312.0× the population · compare
Guatemala 18,687,881 · 44.2× the population · compare
Belize's 2 neighbours together hold 150,634,781 people — 356.2× Belize's population. The most populous is Mexico (131,946,900).
In its region
Belize is the 26th most populous of the 42 economies in Latin America & Caribbean, holding 0.1% of the region's 666,592,570 people.
Rankings featuring Belize
Cities
Belize City, San Ignacio, San Pedro, Orange Walk, Belmopan, Dangriga, Corozal, Santa Elena — all Belize's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Belize when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.