Belize

Belize
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	122nd best
Capital	Belmopan
Land Area	22 810km21
Location	North America, The Americas, Central America
Population	0.4m2
Life Expectancy	70.47yrs (2017)3
GNI	$6 309 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	BZ, BLZ, 845
Internet Domain	.bz6
Currency	Dollar (BZD)7
Telephone	+5018

1. Overview
2. Belize National and Social Development
3. Belize's Demographics and Migration
4. Belize's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
   1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets
   2. Gender Equality Datasets
   3. Prejudice Datasets
5. Belize's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Belize's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Belize's Modernity and Learning
   1. Modernity Datasets
   2. Education Datasets
   3. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Belize's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets
   3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

---

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

“With 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
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
120	Venezuela	0.691
121	Iraq	0.686
122	Tajikistan	0.685
123=	Belize	0.683
123=	Morocco	0.683
125	El Salvador	0.675
126	Nicaragua	0.667
127	Bhutan	0.666
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
127	India	$6 590
128	Palestine	$6 583
129	Tuvalu	$6 351
130	Belize	$6 309
131	Cape Verde	$6 230
132	Ghana	$5 745
133	Nicaragua	$5 625
134	Bangladesh	$5 472
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	28.1
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.0
	...
119	Palau	96.5
120	Botswana	96.5
121	Algeria	97.7
122	Belize	98.3
123	Azerbaijan	98.5
124	Uzbekistan	98.5
125	Guyana	98.6
126	Egypt	99.9
	The Americas Avg	82.6
	World Avg	89.4
q=200.

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 #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Belize's population is predicted to rise to 438 824 by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.99. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - 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 (two new children for each set of parents who die), 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, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
169	Malta	0.4m
170	Brunei	0.4m
171	Bahamas	0.4m
172	Belize	0.4m
173	Iceland	0.3m
174	Vanuatu	0.3m
175	Barbados	0.3m
176	Sao Tome & Principe	0.2m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
109	Micronesia	70.7
110	Venezuela	70.6
111	Jamaica	70.5
112	Belize	70.5
113	Vanuatu	70.4
114	Iraq	70.4
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
116	Suriname	70.3
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
4	India	2.01
5	Belize	1.99
6	Grenada	1.99
7	New Caledonia	2.02
8	Sri Lanka	1.97
9	Faroe Islands	2.05
10	Bangladesh	1.95
11	Vietnam	1.94
12	Georgia	2.06
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
53	Jordan	08.0
54	Laos	08.1
55	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	08.2
56	Belize	08.3
57	Gabon	08.5
58	Pakistan	08.6
59	Bahrain	08.7
60	Syria	09.0
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
27	Equatorial Guinea	17.5%
28	Ireland	16.9%
29	Cyprus	16.0%
30	Belize	16.0%
31	San Marino	15.7%
32	Bahamas	15.6%
33	Maldives	15.4%
34	USA	15.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
36	Cyprus	17.0%
37	Marshall Islands	16.6%
38	Ireland	16.1%
39	Belize	16.1%
40	Azerbaijan	16.0%
41	Bulgaria	16.0%
42	Lebanon	15.6%
43	Equatorial Guinea	14.9%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Belize's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to The Americas (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Canada	16.7
2	Uruguay	31.2
3	Costa Rica	38.8
	...
22	Colombia	80.7
23	Paraguay	83.7
24	St Vincent & Grenadines	84.8
25	Belize	86.3
26	St Lucia	90.3
27	Guyana	91.5
28	Dominica	92.0
29	Nicaragua	93.3
30	Venezuela	96.2
	The Americas Avg	75.96
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
85	St Vincent & Grenadines	84.8
86	Namibia	85.9
87	Albania	86.0
88	Belize	86.3
89	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
90	Ghana	88.7
91	Nauru	89.3
92	Fiji	89.5
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₀.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, 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 Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #politics

Press Freedom Higher is better21
Pos.		202521
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
44	Samoa	69.28
45	Seychelles	68.56
46	Tonga	68.39
47	Belize	68.32
48	Italy	68.01
49	Mauritania	67.52
50	Mauritius	67.31
51	Ghana	67.13
	The Americas Avg	55.99
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better22
Pos.		2014 Rank22
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
135	Gabon	135
136	Togo	136
137	Bangladesh	137
138	Belize	138
139	Congo, (Brazzaville)	139
140	Nigeria	140
141	China	141
142	Ethiopia	142
	The Americas Avg	72.4
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
38=	Sweden	1.0
42=	France	1.5
42=	St Kitts & Nevis	1.5
42=	Belize	1.5
42=	Mongolia	1.5
42=	Lithuania	1.5
42=	Liechtenstein	1.5
42=	Grenada	1.5
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better23
Pos.		2009 Treaties23
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
87=	Seychelles	16
87=	Tajikistan	16
87=	Ghana	16
87=	Belize	16
87=	Monaco	16
87=	Latvia	16
87=	Yemen	16
87=	Congo, DR	16
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better24
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty24
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
71	Eritrea	8.66
72=	Paraguay	8.78
72=	Burkina Faso	8.78
74	Belize	8.88
75	Yemen	8.88
76	Japan	9.16
77	Bosnia & Herzegovina	9.17
78	India	9.18
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #women

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Belize and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Belize is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)
• "Christianity and Women: Biblical Misogyny and Male Dominance" by Vexen Crabtree (2019)

Gender Inequality Lower is better25
Pos.		202225
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
111	India	0.45
112	Namibia	0.45
113	Jordan	0.45
114	Belize	0.46
115	Laos	0.46
116	Myanmar	0.48
117	Guatemala	0.48
118	Mozambique	0.48
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
97=	Bhutan	1953
97=	Syria	1953
99=	Colombia	1954
99=	Belize	1954
99=	Ghana	1954
102=	Nicaragua	1955
102=	Ethiopia	1955
102=	Peru	1955
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#2020s #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better26
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score26
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
68	Serbia	1.01
69	Latvia	0.99
70	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.99
71	Belize	0.90
72=	Lesotho	0.89
72=	Seychelles	0.89
74	Botswana	0.88
75	Paraguay	0.84
	The Americas Avg	0.41
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

After a long time merely being considered a "public nuisance" from the 19th century, in 1944 Ordinance No.4 changed Section 53 of the Penal Code, to make all homosexual acts criminal, with 10 years' prison, although persecution concentrated on male homosexuality. As the world changed and tolerance spread, Belize was under pressure to change. After years of litigation, the Supreme Court of Belize ruled in 2016 that Section 53 violated rights to privacy, dignity and equality. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Belize had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better27
Pos.		202127
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
86=	Denmark	2.8
86=	Venezuela	2.8
88=	Uganda	3.0
88=	Belize	3.0
88=	Moldova	3.0
88=	Mexico	3.0
88=	Tuvalu	3.0
88=	Australia	3.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Belize's Health

#health

Compared to The Americas (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1	Antigua & Barbuda	62.3
2	Canada	63.9
3	Cuba	64.7
	...
28	Peru	101.4
29	Guyana	102.9
30	Bermuda	104.3
31	Belize	104.9
32	Dominican Rep.	107.3
33	Paraguay	108.2
34	Honduras	108.2
35	Puerto Rico	108.3
36	Venezuela	110.1
	The Americas Avg	91.99
q=41.

Health (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
123	Jordan	103.7
124	Philippines	104.0
125	Bermuda	104.3
126	Belize	104.9
127	Bangladesh	105.4
128	Dominican Rep.	107.3
129	Paraguay	108.2
130	Honduras	108.2
	World Avg	97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₂₉. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₉.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on 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, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₉, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₂₉.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #belize #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #suicide

Belize has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Belize comes in the best 20 when it comes to its fertility rate₁₅ (amongst the lowest in The Americas). It does better than average in its smoking rate₃₀, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₁, its suicide rate₃₂ and in childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₃. But, things could still be better. Belize does worse than average for its alcohol consumption rate₃₄, its average life expectancy₁₁, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₅, its adolescent birth rate₃₆ and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₇. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₈ (one of the worst in The Americas). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Belize improved by +3.2yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Belize's peak fertility rate was 6.5 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
109	Micronesia	70.7
110	Venezuela	70.6
111	Jamaica	70.5
112	Belize	70.5
113	Vanuatu	70.4
114	Iraq	70.4
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
116	Suriname	70.3
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better34
Pos.		2016 Per Capita34
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
99	Mexico	6.5
100	Philippines	6.6
101	Cambodia	6.7
102=	Belize	6.8
102=	Sao Tome & Principe	6.8
104	Dominican Rep.	6.9
105=	Antigua & Barbuda	7.0
105=	Niue	7.0
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
4	India	2.01
5	Belize	1.99
6	Grenada	1.99
7	New Caledonia	2.02
8	Sri Lanka	1.97
9	Faroe Islands	2.05
10	Bangladesh	1.95
11	Vietnam	1.94
12	Georgia	2.06
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better30
Pos.		Smoking in the 2020s %30
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
19=	Liberia	8.3%
19=	Guinea-Bissau	8.3%
21	Oman	8.4%
22	Belize	8.8%
23	Ivory Coast	8.8%
24	Costa Rica	8.9%
25	El Salvador	8.9%
26	UAE	9.0%
	The Americas Avg	12.7%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Suicide Rate in the 2010s Lower is better32
Pos.		Suicide Rate in the 2010s Per 100k32
1=	Jordan	1.00
1=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.00
1=	Antigua & Barbuda	1.00
	...
72	Sierra Leone	5.86
73	Madagascar	5.89
74	Liberia	5.90
75	Belize	6.00
76	Brazil	6.08
77=	Paraguay	6.10
77=	Macedonia	6.10
79=	Pakistan	6.26
	The Americas Avg	8.02
	World Avg	9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
155	Bahamas	155
156	Libya	156
157	Papua New Guinea	157
158	Belize	158
159	Algeria	159
160	Senegal	160
161	Mauritania	161
162	St Vincent & Grenadines	162
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better35
Pos.		1976 %35
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
112=	Cuba	32.1
113=	Azerbaijan	32.2
113=	Nicaragua	32.2
115	Belize	32.4
116	Bosnia & Herzegovina	32.6
117	Colombia	32.7
118	Tunisia	32.8
119	Cyprus	33.0
	The Americas Avg	30.7
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better39
Pos.		2022 %39
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
177	Chile	39.5%
178	Puerto Rico	41.0%
179	Saudi Arabia	41.1%
180	Belize	41.9%
181	Palau	42.2%
182	USA	42.9%
183	Egypt	43.0%
184	Qatar	43.8%
	The Americas Avg	32.0%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better36
Pos.		2022 Per 100036
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
131	Suriname	55.2
132	Comoros	56.1
133	Peru	56.1
134	Belize	56.6
135	Marshall Islands	57.5
136	Colombia	57.6
137	Solomon Islands	59.4
138	Gambia	60.7
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better37
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %37
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
157	Ukraine	85.3
158	Peru	85.1
159	Romania	84.7
160	Belize	84.6
161	Grenada	83.2
162=	S. Africa	83.1
162=	Gambia	83.1
164	Brazil	83.0
	The Americas Avg	87.5
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better31
Pos.		2015 Avg %31
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
67=	Grenada	95.2
67=	Slovenia	95.2
67=	Macedonia	95.2
70	Belize	95.1
71	Algeria	95.0
72	Tuvalu	94.9
73	Eritrea	94.7
74	Singapore	94.6
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better33
Pos.		Infant Mortality (2020s) Per 100033
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
84	Moldova	15.77
85	Colombia	15.90
86	Ecuador	15.98
87=	Belize	16.05
87=	Iran	16.05
89	Brazil	16.51
90	Mexico	16.56
91	Jordan	16.74
	The Americas Avg	18.99
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Belize was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19).

6. Belize's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
	...
22	Guyana	87.4
23	Jamaica	88.6
24	Paraguay	91.0
25	Belize	91.3
26	St Vincent & Grenadines	92.0
27	Trinidad & Tobago	94.5
28=	St Kitts & Nevis	96.9
29	Bahamas	100.9
30	Antigua & Barbuda	103.2
	The Americas Avg	82.39
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
121	Lithuania	89.5
122	Paraguay	91.0
123	Equatorial Guinea	91.2
124	Belize	91.3
125	Albania	91.5
126	St Vincent & Grenadines	92.0
127=	Monaco	92.1
127=	Moldova	92.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₁. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Belize ranks 124th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is formulated from 21 data sets. Belize does better than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₂ (but low for The Americas) and in its environmental performance₄₃. And finally, it does worse than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₄ (still low for The Americas), its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₅.

Environmental Performance Higher is better43
Pos.		201843
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
78	Jamaica	58.6
79	Namibia	58.5
80	Iran	58.2
81	Belize	57.8
82	Philippines	57.7
83	Mongolia	57.5
84=	Serbia	57.5
84=	Chile	57.5
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		International Accords on the Environment Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
98	Antigua & Barbuda	57%
99	Bangladesh	57%
100	UAE	57%
101	Belize	57%
102	Bulgaria	57%
103	Honduras	57%
104	Poland	57%
105	Mozambique	57%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Belize is vulnerable to the effects of climate change and was one of 19 countries that signed the Paris Agreement within the first few months in Q2 2016.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better42
Pos.		2011 %42
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
35	Chad	52.8%
36	Kenya	52.1%
37	Central African Rep.	51.9%
38	Belize	50.6%
39	Burkina Faso	50.5%
40	Dominican Rep.	50.2%
41	Thailand	49.9%
42	Italy	49.6%
	The Americas Avg	58.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better44
Pos.		2021 kg44
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
96	Mauritius	54.2
97	Saudi Arabia	55.1
98	Zimbabwe	56.0
99	Belize	56.6
100	Japan	57.2
101	Turkmenistan	57.4
102	Papua New Guinea	58.5
103	Trinidad & Tobago	58.5
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Belize's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2025)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Canada	28.7
2	Argentina	39.3
3	Chile	43.4
	...
28	Honduras	97.5
29	St Vincent & Grenadines	98.7
30	St Lucia	98.9
31	Jamaica	99.7
32	Guyana	112.8
33	Bahamas	113.4
34	Belize	121.2
35	Haiti	126.3
36	Puerto Rico	147.7
	The Americas Avg	79.58
q=36.

Modernity & Learning (2025)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
140	Syria	117.6
141	Togo	119.6
142	Swaziland	120.1
143	Belize	121.2
144	Iraq	121.2
145	Zimbabwe	121.5
146	Senegal	121.8
147	Pakistan	122.6
	World Avg	84.96
q=197.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark₄₇. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₉

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#metric

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
109	Brazil	109
110	Nicaragua	110
111	Togo	111
112	Belize	112
113	Algeria	113
114	Bahamas	114
115	Bahrain	115
116	Kazakhstan	116
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better50
Pos.		2025 %50
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
173=	Cameroon	90
174=	Eritrea	85
174=	Bhutan	85
174=	Belize	85
174=	Somalia	85
174=	Bahamas	85
174=	Afghanistan	85
174=	Yemen	85
	The Americas Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Adopted metric in 1910. Progression:

• 1960 (30%): Imperial dominant; metric limited to science.
• 1970 (45%): Incremental metric in education/government.
• 1980 (60%): Dual use common; commerce begins standardization.
• 2000 (80%): Metric dominant in formal sectors; everyday imperial persists.
• 2025 (85%): High metric usage officially; some imperial in daily life.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better51
Pos.		201851
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
62	Hong Kong	79.4%
63	Chile	79.3%
64	China	78.6%
65	Belize	78.6%
66	Malta	78.2%
67	Fiji	76.9%
68	S. Africa	76.5%
69	Spain	75.8%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better52
Pos.		2021 Years52
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
107	Cameroon	13.1
108	Panama	13.1
109	Suriname	13.0
110	Belize	13.0
111	Paraguay	13.0
112	Gabon	13.0
113	Vietnam	13.0
114	Togo	13.0
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#it_security #the_internet

Internet Users (2020s) Higher is better
Pos.		Internet Users (2020s)
1=	Iceland	99%
1=	Kuwait	99%
1=	UAE	99%
	...
113	Tuvalu	71%
114	Tunisia	70%
115	Philippines	70%
116	Belize	70%
117	Iraq	70%
118	St Vincent & Grenadines	70%
119	Cuba	70%
120	Gabon	69%
	The Americas Avg	75.7%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IT Security Lower is better53
Pos.		201353
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
4	Hong Kong	0.12
5	Mexico	0.16
6	Israel	0.20
7	Colombia	0.22
8=	S. Africa	0.22
8=	Japan	0.22
10	Philippines	0.24
11	Czechia	0.24
12	Argentina	0.27
	The Americas Avg	0.84
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better54
Pos.		2017 Ratio54
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
159=	Bahrain	0.0
159=	Palau	0.0
159=	Equatorial Guinea	0.0
159=	Belize	0.0
159=	Suriname	0.0
159=	Grenada	0.0
159=	Gabon	0.0
159=	Lebanon	0.0
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Belize's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #culture #equality #human_development #inequality #peace

Compared to The Americas (2025)55
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank55
1	Canada	22.8
2	USA	46.5
3	Uruguay	48.4
	...
9	Jamaica	68.9
10	Bahamas	69.4
11	Panama	75.7
12	Belize	77.1
13	Dominica	77.1
14	Brazil	77.9
15=	St Lucia	80.1
16	Mexico	80.2
17	Guatemala	81.2
	The Americas Avg	77.02
q=33.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)55
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank55
1	Denmark	11.6
2	Finland	13.4
3	Netherlands	13.6
	...
71	Ukraine	75.8
72	Tunisia	76.2
73	Belarus	77.0
74	Belize	77.1
75	Dominica	77.1
76	Brazil	77.9
77	Indonesia	79.1
78	Samoa	79.1
	World Avg	81.27
q=187.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#happiness #internationalism

Happiness Higher is better56
Pos.		2024 Score56
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
22	Germany	6.8
23	UK	6.7
24	USA	6.7
25	Belize	6.7
26	Poland	6.7
27	Taiwan	6.7
28	Uruguay	6.7
29	Kosovo	6.7
	The Americas Avg	6.31
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
33	Serbia	33
34	S. Korea	34
35	New Zealand	35
36	Belize	36
37	Iceland	37
38	Croatia	38
39	Bulgaria	39
40	Marshall Islands	40
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better57
Pos.		Passport Reach (2020s) Q57
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
92	Vanuatu	113.7
93	Turkey	112.2
94	S. Africa	104.3
95	Belize	102.0
96	Qatar	101.3
97	Kuwait	97.2
98	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	94.5
99	Ecuador	92.3
	The Americas Avg	132.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
138	Cambodia	138
139	Antigua & Barbuda	139
140	Afghanistan	140
141	Belize	141
142	Slovakia	142
143	Tanzania	143
144	St Vincent & Grenadines	144
145	Samoa	145
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
140	Kuwait	140
141	Saudi Arabia	141
142	St Vincent & Grenadines	142
143	Belize	143
144	Haiti	144
145	Libya	145
146	Croatia	146
147	UAE	147
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
110	Kazakhstan	110
111	Jordan	111
112	Libya	112
113	Belize	113
114	Morocco	114
115	Iraq	115
116	Dominica	116
117	Saudi Arabia	117
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better58
Pos.		201958
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
85	Colombia	10.70
86	Peru	10.80
87	Brazil	10.90
88	Belize	11.10
89	Grenada	11.20
90=	Kyrgyzstan	11.30
90=	St Vincent & Grenadines	11.30
92=	Ecuador	11.50
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better59
Pos.		2023 %59
1	Slovakia	24.1%60
2	Slovenia	24.3%60
3	Belarus	24.4%61
	...
160	Zambia	51.5%62
161	Brazil	52.0%62
162	Botswana	53.3%63
163	Swaziland	54.6%64
164	Colombia	54.8%62
165	Belize	57.7%65
166	Namibia	59.1%63
167	S. Africa	63.0%66
	The Americas Avg	44.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Belize - only for 6 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better67
Pos.		2018 Severity67
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
23	Dominican Rep.	.015
24	China	.016
25	Brazil	.01668
26	Belize	.017
27	Ecuador	.018
28	Jamaica	.018
29	Paraguay	.019
30	Vietnam	.019
	The Americas Avg	.045
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #catholicism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₆₉:

	2010	2020
Christian	74%	74.4%
Unaffiliated	16%	15.6%
Other	9.12%	9.18%
Buddhist	0.256%	0.253%
Jewish	0.183%	0.198%
Hindu	0.201%	0.195%
Muslim	0.195%	0.18%

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)₇₀.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₇₁, 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)₇₂

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems