The Human Truth Foundation

Belize

http://www.humantruth.info/belize.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#catholicism

Belize
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index113rd best
CapitalBelmopan
Land Area 22 810km21
LocationNorth America, The Americas, Central America
Population0.4m2
Life Expectancy70.47yrs (2017)3
GNI$6 309 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesBZ, BLZ, 845
Internet Domain.bz6
CurrencyDollar (BZD)7
Telephone+5018

1. Overview

#germany #guatemala #hong_kong #spain #UK

Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Guatemala and Belize plan to hold a simultaneous referendum, set for 6 October 2013, to determine if this dispute will go before the International Court of Justice at The Hague. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high unemployment, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, high crime rates, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverWith one foot planted in the Central American jungles and the other dipped in the Caribbean Sea, Belize combines the best of both worlds. Sitting smack dab between Spanish-speaking Central America and the Caribbean (geographically and culturally), Central America´s youngest nation definitely dances to its own beat. Belize´s 240 miles of coastline and uncountable islands offer amazing swimming and beachcombing, and its barrier reef (the northern hemisphere´s largest) is a diver´s paradise. Belize´s jungles are dotted with ancient structures built in the days when Belize was but a small part of the greater Maya kingdom, offering much for the intrepid to explore. Culturally, Belize is surprisingly diverse. Though officially an English-speaking nation, expect to hear Spanish, Kriol, Garifuna and Maya, with perhaps a bit of Cantonese and Mennonite German thrown in for good measure. Though among the pricier destinations in Central America, for cuisine, diversity and culture, Belize still offers more than enough bang for your buck to make it worth the trip.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

2. Belize National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Value11
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
...
120Venezuela0.691
121Iraq0.686
122Tajikistan0.685
123=Belize0.683
123=Morocco0.683
125El Salvador0.675
126Nicaragua0.667
127Bhutan0.666
The Americas Avg0.75
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $11
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
...
127India$6 590
128Palestine$6 583
129Tuvalu$6 351
130Belize$6 309
131Cape Verde$6 230
132Ghana$5 745
133Nicaragua$5 625
134Bangladesh$5 472
The Americas Avg$16 628
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1Norway28.6
2Denmark30.0
3Sweden30.7
...
110St Kitts & Nevis91.2
111Saudi Arabia91.2
112Guatemala91.4
113Belize91.8
114Nicaragua92.3
115Azerbaijan92.7
116St Lucia92.9
117Dominica93.2
The Americas Avg81.6
World Avg86.8
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Belize's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Belize's population is predicted to rise to 438 824 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.70. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population2
Pos.2018
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
...
169Malta0.4m
170Brunei0.4m
171Bahamas0.4m
172Belize0.4m
173Iceland0.3m
174Vanuatu0.3m
175Barbados0.3m
176Sao Tome & Principe0.2m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
109Micronesia70.7
110Venezuela70.6
111Jamaica70.5
112Belize70.5
113Vanuatu70.4
114Iraq70.4
115Solomon Islands70.3
116Suriname70.3
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
13
Pos.201313
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
110Singapore1.35
111Saudi Arabia2.67
112Portugal1.31
113Belize2.70
114Malta1.28
115Syria2.81
116Bosnia & Herzegovina1.13
117Paraguay2.87
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
14
Pos.2016
Per 10014
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
...
53Jordan08.0
54Laos08.1
55Timor-Leste (E. Timor)08.2
56Belize08.3
57Gabon08.5
58Pakistan08.6
59Bahrain08.7
60Syria09.0
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants15
Pos.2017
%15
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
27Equatorial Guinea17.5%
28Ireland16.9%
29Cyprus16.0%
30Belize16.0%
31San Marino15.7%
32Bahamas15.6%
33Maldives15.4%
34USA15.3%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants16
Pos.2010
%16
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
36Cyprus17.0%
37Marshall Islands16.6%
38Ireland16.1%
39Belize16.1%
40Azerbaijan16.0%
41Bulgaria16.0%
42Lebanon15.6%
43Equatorial Guinea14.9%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. Belize's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance #women

Compared to The Americas (2020)17
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank17
1Canada21.0
2Uruguay26.5
3Costa Rica36.5
...
24Haiti86.4
25Suriname86.7
26St Vincent & Grenadines89.2
27Belize93.9
28Cuba97.4
29=Guyana102.7
30Antigua & Barbuda105.0
31=Bahamas105.0
32Dominica105.2
The Americas Avg73.9
q=35.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)17
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank17
1Sweden9.0
2Norway14.5
3Denmark14.5
...
101Thailand93.3
102Niger93.8
103Monaco93.8
104Belize93.9
105Uganda94.2
106Lesotho94.8
107=Sri Lanka94.8
107=Botswana94.8
World Avg87.9
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark18. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu18.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe18, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia18.

For more, see:

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better19
Pos.2009
Treaties19
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
...
87Seychelles16
88=Tajikistan16
88=Ghana16
88=Belize16
88=Monaco16
88=Latvia16
88=Yemen16
88=Congo, DR16
The Americas Avg16.5
World Avg15.1
q=194.
HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better20
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty20
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
...
71Eritrea8.66
72=Paraguay8.78
72=Burkina Faso8.78
74Belize8.88
75Yemen8.88
76Japan9.16
77Bosnia & Herzegovina9.17
78India9.18
The Americas Avg8.45
World Avg10.02
q=195.
Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
Lower is better21
Pos.2014
Rank21
1Hong Kong1
2Switzerland2
3New Zealand3
...
135Gabon135
136Togo136
137Bangladesh137
138Belize138
139Congo, (Brazzaville)139
140Nigeria140
141China141
142Ethiopia142
The Americas Avg72.4
World Avg79.7
q=159.

Gender Equality:

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Belize and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Belize has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
22
Pos.201522
1Switzerland0.04
2Denmark0.04
3Netherlands0.04
...
78Bahamas0.36
79Thailand0.37
80Myanmar (Burma)0.37
81Belize0.38
82Mauritius0.38
83Lebanon0.38
84Rwanda0.38
85El Salvador0.38
The Americas Avg0.39
World Avg0.36
q=159.
Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.0
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
97=Bhutan1953
97=Syria1953
99Colombia1954
100=Belize1954
100=Ghana1954
102Nicaragua1955
103=Ethiopia1955
103=Peru1955
The Americas Avg1947
World Avg1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality
Higher is better
23
Pos.2017
Score23
1Netherlands103
2Belgium90
3Sweden86
...
99=Vanuatu15
99=Congo, DR15
99=Lesotho15
99=Belize15
99=Belarus15
99=Kyrgyzstan15
105Jordan12
106=China12
The Americas Avg26.1
World Avg12.6
q=196.
Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
24
Pos.202124
1=Belgium1.0
1=Netherlands1.0
1=Taiwan1.0
...
86Venezuela2.8
87=Canada2.8
88Switzerland3.0
89=Belize3.0
89=Lesotho3.0
89=Laos3.0
89=Grenada3.0
89=Finland3.0
The Americas Avg2.7
World Avg3.0
q=196.

5. Belize's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to The Americas (2020)25
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank25
1Antigua & Barbuda75.6
2=Brazil82.1
3Cuba82.4
...
27Bolivia103.4
28Uruguay103.6
29=Guatemala103.8
30Jamaica106.6
31=Belize107.1
32Dominican Rep.109.4
33Haiti111.4
34Argentina114.9
35Venezuela118.5
The Americas Avg96.2
q=35.
Health (2020)25
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank25
1Monaco13.0
2Hong Kong18.3
3Maldives41.0
...
142Lesotho106.3
143Botswana106.5
144Jamaica106.6
145=Belize107.1
145=Belarus107.1
147Ukraine107.3
148Tanzania107.5
149Mauritania107.6
World Avg93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives26. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau26.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean26, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa26.

For more, see:

Health:

Belize has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Belize does better than average in terms of its suicide rate27, its immunizations take-up28 and in its smoking rate29 (but high for The Americas). But, things could still be better. Belize does worse than average when it comes to its alcohol consumption rate30, its average life expectancy11, its fertility rate13 and in its adolescent birth rate22. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance31 (one of the highest in The Americas). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Belize improved by +3.2yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs.

Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
109Micronesia70.7
110Venezuela70.6
111Jamaica70.5
112Belize70.5
113Vanuatu70.4
114Iraq70.4
115Solomon Islands70.3
116Suriname70.3
The Americas Avg72.58
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
30
Pos.2016
Per Capita30
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
99Mexico6.5
100Philippines6.6
101Cambodia6.7
102=Belize6.8
102=Sao Tome & Principe6.8
104Dominican Rep.6.9
105=Antigua & Barbuda7.0
105=Niue7.0
The Americas Avg6.9
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
13
Pos.201313
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
110Singapore1.35
111Saudi Arabia2.67
112Portugal1.31
113Belize2.70
114Malta1.28
115Syria2.81
116Bosnia & Herzegovina1.13
117Paraguay2.87
The Americas Avg2.29
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Smoking Rates
Lower is better
29
Pos.201429
1Guinea 15
2Solomon Islands 26
3Kiribati 28
...
68Antigua & Barbuda 362
69Yemen 388
70S. Sudan 398
71Belize 400
72Swaziland 427
73Sudan 428
74Costa Rica 432
75Botswana 449
The Americas Avg 457
World Avg 819
q=182.
Suicide Rate27
Pos.2013
Per 100k27
1Haiti0
2Grenada0
3Egypt0.1
...
19=St Vincent & Grenadines7.3
19=Guatemala7.3
19=Barbados7.3
19=Belize7.3
23Bahrain7.5
24Albania8
25=Mexico8.5
25=Israel8.5
The Americas Avg13.57
World Avg20.93
q=91.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
...
155Bahamas155
156Libya156
157Papua New Guinea157
158Belize158
159Algeria159
160Senegal160
161Mauritania161
162St Vincent & Grenadines162
The Americas Avg94.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better32
Pos.2016
%32
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
...
91=Switzerland54.3
91=Austria54.3
93Armenia54.4
94Belize54.8
95Haiti54.9
96=St Vincent & Grenadines55.0
96=Solomon Islands55.0
98Denmark55.4
The Americas Avg57.4
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
22
Pos.2015
Per 100022
1N. Korea0.5
2S. Korea1.6
3Switzerland2.9
...
130Honduras65.0
131El Salvador65.2
132S. Sudan65.9
133Belize65.9
134Ghana66.8
135Brazil67.0
136Comoros68.3
137Swaziland70.4
The Americas Avg56.6
World Avg47.9
q=185.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
28
Pos.2015
Avg %28
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
67=Grenada95.2
67=Slovenia95.2
67=Macedonia95.2
70Belize95.1
71Algeria95.0
72Tuvalu94.9
73Eritrea94.7
74Singapore94.6
The Americas Avg91.3
World Avg88.3
q=194.

6. Belize's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #food #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to The Americas (2023)33
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank33
1Uruguay48.0
2Peru48.2
3Costa Rica49.6
...
8=Colombia58.8
9Paraguay61.0
10Cuba64.7
11Belize65.3
12Brazil66.8
13El Salvador71.8
14Trinidad & Tobago73.5
15Nicaragua75.5
16=Guatemala76.2
The Americas Avg80.1
q=35.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)33
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank33
1Japan33.2
2Philippines45.0
3Uruguay48.0
...
39Burkina Faso64.3
40Cuba64.7
41Ethiopia64.8
42Belize65.3
43Netherlands65.8
44Australia66.4
45=Egypt66.6
45=Austria66.6
World Avg85.7
q=188.
Belize is 42nd in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 5 data sets. Belize does better than average when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population34 (but low for The Americas), how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity and in its environmental performance35. Belize does not succeed in everything, however. Belize does worse than average for annual meat consumption per person36 (still low for The Americas) and in its forested percent change 1990-201537.

Forest Area Change 1990-2015
Higher is better
37
Pos.2015
%37
1Iceland+205.6
2Bahrain+144.4
3Uruguay+131.3
...
146Bolivia-12.8
147Dominica-13.3
148Liberia-15.2
149Belize-15.5
150Equatorial Guinea-15.7
151Haiti-16.4
152Tanzania-17.6
153Ethiopia-17.8
The Americas Avg-00.2
World Avg+02.8
q=184.
Environmental Performance
Higher is better
35
Pos.201835
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
...
78Jamaica58.6
79Namibia58.5
80Iran58.2
81Belize57.8
82Philippines57.7
83Mongolia57.5
84=Serbia57.5
84=Chile57.5
The Americas Avg58.8
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Convention on Biological Diversity
Earlier is better
Pos.0
Signed
1=China1993 Dec 29
1=Guinea1993 Dec 29
1=Cook Islands1993 Dec 29
...
40Portugal1994 Mar 21
41=Germany1994 Mar 21
41=Denmark1994 Mar 21
43Belize1994 Mar 30
44Albania1994 Apr 05
45Malawi1994 May 03
46Samoa1994 May 10
47India1994 May 19
The Americas Avg1899 Dec 30
World Avg1899 Dec 30
q=197.
Rational Beliefs on the Environment
Higher is better34
Pos.2011
%34
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
...
35Chad52.8%
36Kenya52.1%
37Central African Rep.51.9%
38Belize50.6%
39Burkina Faso50.5%
40Dominican Rep.50.2%
41Thailand49.9%
42Italy49.6%
The Americas Avg58.6%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.
Meat Consumption
Lower is better
36
Pos.2021
kg36
1Congo, DR03.0
2Burundi03.5
3Bangladesh04.3
...
96Mauritius54.2
97Saudi Arabia55.1
98Zimbabwe56.0
99Belize56.6
100Japan57.2
101Turkmenistan57.4
102Papua New Guinea58.5
103Trinidad & Tobago58.5
The Americas Avg70.3
World Avg52.5
q=185.

7. Belize's Modernity and Learning

#education #it_security #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2020)38
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank38
1Canada21.6
2USA29.3
3Argentina43.8
...
23Ecuador83.9
24Antigua & Barbuda84.0
25=US Virgin Islands86.0
25=Belize86.0
27Venezuela87.1
28Panama88.0
29=Greenland90.0
30Bolivia90.1
31St Vincent & Grenadines90.3
The Americas Avg81.7
q=41.
Modernity & Learning (2020)38
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank38
1Finland8.4
2Taiwan10.0
3Switzerland15.1
...
108Antigua & Barbuda84.0
109Lebanon85.7
110Mauritius85.8
111=Belize86.0
111=US Virgin Islands86.0
113Venezuela87.1
114Morocco87.4
115Panama88.0
World Avg83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Secondary Education
Higher is better
39
Pos.201839
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
...
62Hong Kong79.4%
63Chile79.3%
64China78.6%
65Belize78.6%
66Malta78.2%
67Fiji76.9%
68S. Africa76.5%
69Spain75.8%
The Americas Avg63.0%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
40
Pos.2021
Years40
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
107Cameroon13.1
108Panama13.1
109Suriname13.0
110Belize13.0
111Paraguay13.0
112Gabon13.0
113Vietnam13.0
114Togo13.0
The Americas Avg14.2
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
109Brazil109
110Nicaragua110
111Togo111
112Belize112
113Algeria113
114Bahamas114
115Bahrain115
116Kazakhstan116
The Americas Avg99.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
41
Pos.201641
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
108Panama45%
109Mexico45%
110=Kenya45%
110=Belize45%
112Ukraine44%
113Philippines44%
114Jamaica43%
115Ecuador43%
The Americas Avg56.4%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IT Security
Lower is better
42
Pos.201342
1=Ireland0.11
1=Luxembourg0.11
1=Belize0.11
4Hong Kong0.12
5Mexico0.16
6Israel0.20
7Colombia0.22
8=S. Africa0.22
8=Japan0.22
10Philippines0.24
11Czechia0.24
12Argentina0.27
The Americas Avg0.84
World Avg0.98
IPv6 Uptake
Higher is better
43
Pos.2017
Ratio43
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
...
159=Bahrain0.0
159=Palau0.0
159=Equatorial Guinea0.0
159=Belize0.0
159=Suriname0.0
159=Grenada0.0
159=Gabon0.0
159=Lebanon0.0
The Americas Avg3.36
World Avg3.82
q=176.

8. National Culture

#happiness

Happiness
Higher is better
44
Pos.2018
Score44
1Finland7.6
2Norway7.6
3Denmark7.6
...
46Thailand6.1
47Italy6.0
48Ecuador6.0
49Belize6.0
50Lithuania6.0
51Slovenia5.9
52Romania5.9
53Latvia5.9
The Americas Avg6.05
World Avg5.38
q=156.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
33Serbia33
34S. Korea34
35New Zealand35
36Belize36
37Iceland37
38Croatia38
39Bulgaria39
40Marshall Islands40
The Americas Avg80.2
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
138Cambodia138
139Antigua & Barbuda139
140Afghanistan140
141Belize141
142Slovakia142
143Tanzania143
144St Vincent & Grenadines144
145Samoa145
The Americas Avg100.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.

9. Peace Versus Instability

Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
...
140Kuwait140
141Saudi Arabia141
142St Vincent & Grenadines142
143Belize143
144Haiti144
145Libya145
146Croatia146
147UAE147
The Americas Avg82.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
110Kazakhstan110
111Jordan111
112Libya112
113Belize113
114Morocco114
115Iraq115
116Dominica116
117Saudi Arabia117
The Americas Avg91.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better45
Pos.201945
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
85Colombia10.70
86Peru10.80
87Brazil10.90
88Belize11.10
89Grenada11.20
90=Kyrgyzstan11.30
90=St Vincent & Grenadines11.30
92Ecuador11.50
The Americas Avg12.03
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Multidimensional Poverty
Lower is better46
Pos.2018
Severity46
1Armenia.001
2Ukraine.001
3Serbia.001
...
23Dominican Rep..015
24China.016
25Brazil.01647
26Belize.017
27Ecuador.018
28Jamaica.018
29Paraguay.019
30Vietnam.019
The Americas Avg.045
World Avg.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below48:

Christian87.6%
Muslim0.1%
Hindu0.2%
Buddhist0.5%
Folk Religion1.5%
Jewish1%
Unaffiliated8.9%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 39.3%, Pentacostal 8.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.3%, Anglican 4.5%, Mennonite 3.7%, Baptist 3.5%, Methodist 2.8%, Nazarene 2.8%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.6%, other 9.9% (includes Bahai Faith, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Mormon), other (unknown) 3.1%, none 15.2% (2010 census)49.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)50, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Belize states:

The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. There is no state religion; however, the preamble to the constitution states, "The nation of Belize shall be founded upon principles which acknowledge the supremacy of God." An amendment to the constitution expanded the appointed Senate to 12 persons, one of whom is appointed by the governor general acting in accordance with the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and the Evangelical Association of Churches. The membership of these organizations includes several Christian denominations, among them Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Salvation Army, Chinese Christian Mission, Chinese Christian Church, and Seventh-day Adventist.

The constitution stipulates that religious communities may establish "places of education" and states that "no such community shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for persons of that community." Although there is no state religion, the educational system maintains by statute a strong religious curriculum. The curriculum ties "spirituality" with social studies courses.

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)51

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