Details of Belize’s Population Census conducted in 2022 and shared at a public forum in Belize City on 8 April 2024 show that in 2022, Belize’s total household population stood at 397,483 persons, reflecting a 23 percent increase since the last Census in 2010. The country maintained a relatively gender-balanced profile, with 49.2 percent of persons living in Belize at the time of the Census being males and 50.8 percent being females. Analysis of age demographics reveals that 27.6 percent of the population were children falling below the age of 14, while the remaining 72.4 percent comprised the working age population (14 years and older). The national median age increased from 21 years in 2010 to 25 years in 2022. The diverse ethnic composition characteristic of Belize continued to be evident in the 2022 Census data. While 51.7 percent of the population identified as Mestizo-Hispanic/Latino, persons that identified as Creole, Maya, Garifuna and East Indian accounted for 25.2 percent, 9.8 percent, 4 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively. The remaining 7.8 percent was comprised of a mosaic of numerous other ethnicities.
The total number of households stood at 110,719 households in 2022, with 42.2 percent found in urban areas and 57.8 percent found in rural areas. The average household size saw a decrease from 4.0 persons in 2010 to 3.6 persons in 2022. When compared to the previous Census in 2010, households in 2022 saw improvements in both home ownership and general living conditions. More than two-thirds or 67.8 percent of all households owned the dwelling in which they resided, either with or without a mortgage. Additionally, 83.8 percent of households reported that their main source of water was public and almost three-quarters or 74.3 percent indicated that the main source of their drinking water was bottled/purified water. Almost 9 out of every 10 households, or 87.4 percent, obtained their main source of lighting from the Belize Electricity Limited, while 76.5 percent reported that their main type of toilet facility was a flush toilet linked to either a septic tank or public sewer system. These developments reflected clear improvements in living standards and infrastructure development when compared to 2010.
Three-quarters of the population indicated that they speak English fluently and this was up from just under two-thirds in 2010. More than a half indicated that they speak Spanish fluently, which is slightly down from 2010, and just about a half indicated that they speak Creole fluently.
The population has been growing at a slower rate than was previously estimated. The rate of population growth is decelerating. The growth is less and less every year. And this is due in large part to declining fertility rate.
The base of Belize’s population is shrinking. And it is starting to age as a population over time. The national median age increased from 21 in 2010 to 25 years in 2022. Again, signaling that the population is starting to gradually age.
Roughly around half of the population self-identified as being mestizo, Hispanic, or Latino.
Roughly a quarter identified as being creole. Mayas comprised just under 10% and the Garifuna population about 4%, and between these four major ethnic groups they accounted for more than 90% of the population.
Between 2010 and 2022 there has been a gradual shift away from affiliation to organized religion. With respect to religious affiliation, the biggest growth is among persons who have no religious affiliation. Persons who identify with no organized religion doubled from just over 15% in 2010 to over 30%, 31% in 2022.
Population by sex, if we look back 40 years ago to 1980, there were slightly more males than females, a little bit over 50% of the population was comprised of males and around 49 something percent was made of females.
2010 saw the balance at virtually 50-50, the number of males, the number of females was virtually even, and in 2022 the trend continued in that direction where the number of females slightly overtook the number of males.
More than half of all households in 2010 reported that they had cable TV or satellite services. 12 years later however that number dwindled drastically to only one in five households reporting that they had cable TV. Similarly in 2010 over 20% of households reported that they had a fixed telephone line. However in 2022 less than 5% of households had this service. Conversely internet access increased significantly as more than 70% of households reported that they had internet access in 2022 compared to only 13.6% in 2010.
The predominant source of drinking water was purified water for both periods, but it increased significantly from 51.7% in 2010 to 74.3% in 2022. Almost three-quarters of households now use purified water as their main source of drinking water.
Commissioner Of Police Questions 2022 Population Figures
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has called into question the accuracy of Belize’s population as reported by the 2022 Census. Noting that the census was delayed due to COVID, Mr. Williams spoke to the media on 19 April 2024.
“”I’m sure that the numbers brought up by census are not an accurate figure of our true population. I am sure that Belize has far more people than the census declared and you know when we’re doing census, some people go and hide, especially those persons who may be here illegally. And if we look at the migrant communities, there are a lot of people who are undocumented, and those people would not normally avail themselves for census, so I am sure we have more people than the census declared.”