Economy — Belize
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Economy at a glance
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency. Key figure for Belize: Tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner in this small economy, followed by exports of sugar, bananas, citrus, marine products, and crude oil. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth averaging nearly 4% from 1999-2007, but GPD growth has ave…
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Economic overview
- Economic Overview
Tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner in this small economy, followed by exports of sugar, bananas, citrus, marine products, and crude oil.
The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth averaging nearly 4% from 1999-2007, but GPD growth has averaged only 2.1% from 2007-2016, with 2.5% growth estimated for 2017.
Belize’s dependence on energy imports makes it susceptible to energy price shocks.
Although Belize has the third-highest per capita income in Central America, the average income figure masks a huge income disparity between rich and poor, and a key government objective remains to reduce poverty and inequality with the help of international donors.
High unemployment, a growing trade deficit, and a heavy foreign debt burden continue to be major concerns.
Belize faces continued pressure from rising sovereign debt and a growing trade imbalance.
- Industries
Garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil
- GDP - per capita (PPP)
$8,200.00 (USD)
GDP & growth
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)
$2,430,000,000 (USD)
- GDP Per Capita
$8,200.00 (USD)
- GDP - official exchange rate
$1,770,000,000 (USD)
- GDP - composition, by end use
- Household Consumption: 72.1%
- Government Consumption: 17.2%
- Investment in Fixed Capital: 20.3%
- Investment in Inventories: 0.8%
- Exports of Goods and Services: 52.6%
- Imports of Goods and Services: -63%
- GDP by Sector- agriculture
11.7%
- GDP by Sector- Industry
14.5%
- GDP by Sector- services
59.9%
- Industrial Growth Rate
-1%
Prices & money
- Inflation Rate
0.9%
- Exchange Rate per US Dollar
2
- Currency Name and Code
Belizean dollars (BZD)
- Fiscal Year
1 April - 31 March
- Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
10.8%
Employment & labor
- Labor Force
120,500
- Unemployment Rate
12.9%
- Major Industries
Garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil
- Agriculture Products
- Bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar
- fish, cultured shrimp
- lumber
- Population Below Poverty Line
41%
- Child Labor - # of children ages 5-14
27,751
- Child Labor - % of children ages 5-14
40%
Public finance
- Annual Budget
$500,000,000 (USD)
- Public Debt (% of GDP)
86.3%
- Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP
-8.5%
- Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP
28.2%