Belize 
Facts
Population:
256,062 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
42.04% (male 54,876; female 52,780)
15-64 years:
54.43% (male 70,534; female 68,837)
65 years and over:
3.53% (male 4,403; female 4,632) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.7% (2001 est.)
Birth rate:
31.69 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate:
4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.95 male(s)/female
total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
25.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
71.19 years
male:
68.91 years
female:
73.57 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.05 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,400 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
170 (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Belizean(s)
adjective:
Belizean
Ethnic groups:
mestizo 43.7%, Creole 29.8%, Maya 10%, Garifuna 6.2%, other 10.3%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% (1980)
Languages:
English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
70.3%
male:
70.3%
female:
70.3% (1991 est.)
note:
other sources list the literacy rate as high as 75%
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $790 million (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture:
18%
industry:
24%
services:
58% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line:
33% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
71,000
note:
shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 38%, industry 32%, services 30% (1994)
Unemployment rate:
12.8% (1999)
Budget:
revenues:
$157 million
expenditures:
$279 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Industries:
garment production, food processing, tourism, construction
Industrial production growth rate:
4.6% (1999)
Electricity - production:
185 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel:
56.76%
hydro:
43.24%
nuclear:
0%
other:
0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption:
172.1 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products:
bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp
Exports:
$235.7 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities:
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
Exports - partners:
US 42%, UK 33%, EU 12%, Caricom 4.8%, Canada 2%, Mexico 1% (1999)
Imports:
$413 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners:
US 58%, Mexico 12%, UK 5% EU 5%, Central America 5%, Caricom 4% (1998)
Debt - external:
$338 million (1998)
Economic aid - recipient:
$NA
Currency:
Belizean dollar (BZD)
Currency code:
BZD
Exchange rates:
Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Statistics: CIA World Factbook.
Press
(independent, biweekly), Belize City
http://www.amandala.com.bz
(English-language weekly; organ of PUP party), Belize Times
http://www.belizetimes.com
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