Belize

Belize
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	111th 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
5. Belize's Health
6. Belize's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Belize's Modernity and Learning
8. Belize's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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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	29.1
2	Norway	32.3
3	Sweden	34.1
	...
108	Guatemala	93.4
109	Kyrgyzstan	94.2
110	Bahrain	94.9
111	Belize	95.3
112	Senegal	95.8
113	Azerbaijan	95.8
114	Suriname	96.6
115	Bangladesh	96.7
	The Americas Avg	81.5
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

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:

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. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

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.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
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.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
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:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
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.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
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 #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance #women

Compared to The Americas (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Canada	14.7
2	Costa Rica	31.8
3	Uruguay	35.5
	...
19	Peru	68.7
20	St Lucia	69.9
21	Colombia	71.9
22	Belize	73.4
23	Dominican Rep.	78.0
24	St Kitts & Nevis	79.1
25	El Salvador	79.5
26	Paraguay	80.8
27	Honduras	81.1
	The Americas Avg	71.80
q=36.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
69	Colombia	71.9
70	Mongolia	72.6
71	Macedonia	72.8
72	Belize	73.4
73	Albania	73.6
74	Seychelles	73.8
75	Hong Kong	74.5
76	Marshall Islands	75.0
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₁₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating 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 Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

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

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom Higher is better20
Pos.		202520
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.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better21
Pos.		2014 Rank21
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
43=	St Kitts & Nevis	1.5
43=	Belize	1.5
43=	Mongolia	1.5
43=	Lithuania	1.5
43=	Liechtenstein	1.5
43=	Grenada	1.5
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better22
Pos.		2009 Treaties22
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
87	Seychelles	16
88=	Tajikistan	16
88=	Ghana	16
88=	Belize	16
88=	Monaco	16
88=	Latvia	16
88=	Yemen	16
88=	Congo, DR	16
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better23
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty23
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.

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 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 better24
Pos.		202224
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 (Burma)	0.48
117	Guatemala	0.48
118	Mozambique	0.48
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

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

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality Higher is better25
Pos.		2017 Score25
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
99=	Vanuatu	15
99=	Congo, DR	15
99=	Lesotho	15
99=	Belize	15
99=	Belarus	15
99=	Kyrgyzstan	15
105	Jordan	12
106=	China	12
	The Americas Avg	26.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better26
Pos.		202126
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
86	Denmark	2.8
87=	Venezuela	2.8
88	Uganda	3.0
89=	Belize	3.0
89=	Moldova	3.0
89=	Mexico	3.0
89=	Tuvalu	3.0
89=	Australia	3.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
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 (2025)27
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank27
1	Curaço	49.7
2	Aruba	49.9
3	US Virgin Islands	51.9
	...
36	Dominican Rep.	109.8
37	Puerto Rico	109.9
38	Paraguay	113.6
39	Haiti	115.3
40	Nicaragua	117.0
41	Guatemala	117.4
42	Bolivia	117.5
43	Honduras	121.0
44	Belize	122.8
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=44.

Health (2025)27
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank27
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
157=	Ghana	121.8
157=	S. Africa	121.8
159	Burundi	122.8
160	Belize	122.8
161	Gambia	124.0
162	Tonga	124.3
163	Palestine	124.3
164	Papua New Guinea	125.9
	World Avg	97.60
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₂₈. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue₂₈.

25 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 and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₂₈, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₂₈.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Belize does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Belize comes in the best 20 when it comes to its fertility rate₁₄ (one of the best in The Americas). It does better than average when it comes to its suicide rate₂₉, its immunizations take-up₃₀ and in its smoking rate₃₁ (but bad for The Americas). But, there's bad news too. Belize does worse than average for its alcohol consumption rate₃₂, its average life expectancy₁₁, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₃ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₄. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅ (amongst the worst in The Americas). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during 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. 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.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better32
Pos.		2016 Per Capita32
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 best14
Pos.		202214
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.

Smoking Rates Lower is better31
Pos.		201431
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
68	Antigua & Barbuda	362
69	Yemen	388
70	S. Sudan	398
71	Belize	400
72	Swaziland	427
73	Sudan	428
74	Costa Rica	432
75	Botswana	449
	The Americas Avg	457
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate29
Pos.		2013 Per 100k29
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
19=	St Vincent & Grenadines	7.3
19=	Guatemala	7.3
19=	Barbados	7.3
19=	Belize	7.3
23	Bahrain	7.5
24	Albania	8
25=	Mexico	8.5
25=	Israel	8.5
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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 better33
Pos.		1976 %33
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
112=	Cuba	32.1
113	Azerbaijan	32.2
114=	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 better36
Pos.		2022 %36
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.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better34
Pos.		2022 Per 100034
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.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better30
Pos.		2015 Avg %30
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.

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

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
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	92.66
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
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"₃₈. 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 comes 124th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This is derived from 21 data sets. Belize does better than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₃₉ (but bad for The Americas) and in its environmental performance₄₀. And finally, it does worse than average in terms of reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₁ (still good for The Americas), its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₂.

Environmental Performance Higher is better40
Pos.		201840
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.		Total 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.

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 better39
Pos.		2011 %39
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 better41
Pos.		2021 kg41
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.

7. Belize's Modernity and Learning

#education #it_security #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2020)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1=	Canada	21.8
2	USA	26.4
3	Argentina	38.2
	...
23=	Dominican Rep.	87.1
23=	Panama	87.1
25	Venezuela	89.0
26	Belize	89.1
27	Jamaica	94.6
28	Paraguay	103.1
29	Suriname	106.6
30	El Salvador	109.2
31	Nicaragua	121.4
	The Americas Avg	81.34
q=35.

Modernity & Learning (2020)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
104	Andorra	87.1
105	India	87.8
106	Venezuela	89.0
107	Belize	89.1
108	Oman	89.8
109	Palestine	91.6
110	Mongolia	91.7
111	Indonesia	93.3
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

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, Belgium and Denmark₄₄. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₄. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₅.

“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)₄₆

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, 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 Europe₄₄, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₄.

For more, see:

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

Modernity and Education:

Secondary Education Higher is better47
Pos.		201847
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 better48
Pos.		2021 Years48
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.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better49
Pos.		201649
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
108	Panama	45%
109	Mexico	45%
110=	Kenya	45%
110=	Belize	45%
112	Ukraine	44%
113	Philippines	44%
114	Jamaica	43%
115	Ecuador	43%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security Lower is better50
Pos.		201350
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 better51
Pos.		2017 Ratio51
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

#capitalism #charitability #culture #economics #equality #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #peace #poverty #social_development

Compared to The Americas (2020)52
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank52
1	Canada	23.1
2	Barbados	46.9
3	Costa Rica	47.3
	...
9	Argentina	73.6
10	Cuba	73.8
11	Panama	78.4
12	Belize	78.8
13	Dominica	79.6
14	Bahamas	79.7
15	Brazil	83.5
16	Guatemala	84.2
17	St Lucia	84.2
	The Americas Avg	79.19
q=33.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)52
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank52
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
78	Fiji	77.4
79	Belarus	77.7
80	Panama	78.4
81	Belize	78.8
82	Dominica	79.6
83	Bahamas	79.7
84	Sri Lanka	79.8
85	Senegal	79.9
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, 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).

National Culture:

Happiness Higher is better53
Pos.		2024 Score53
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.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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.

Peace Versus Instability:

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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 better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better54
Pos.		201954
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 better55
Pos.		2023 %55
1	Slovakia	24.1%56
2	Slovenia	24.3%56
3	Belarus	24.4%57
	...
160	Zambia	51.5%58
161	Brazil	52.0%58
162	Botswana	53.3%59
163	Swaziland	54.6%60
164	Colombia	54.8%58
165	Belize	57.7%61
166	Namibia	59.1%59
167	S. Africa	63.0%62
	The Americas Avg	44.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

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

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better63
Pos.		2018 Severity63
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
23	Dominican Rep.	.015
24	China	.016
25	Brazil	.01664
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

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 below₆₅:

Christian	87.6%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.2%
Buddhist	0.5%
Folk Religion	1.5%
Jewish	1%
Unaffiliated	8.9%

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)₆₆.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₆₇, 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)₆₈

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems