Belize at its true size
Belize covers 22,966 km², number 148 of 194 countries by area. Home to 422,924 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 22,966 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 422,924 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 18 per km² |
| Capital | Belmopan |
| Local time in Belmopan | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 IANA |
| Currency | Belize dollar (BZD) Wikidata |
| Languages | English |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | Central America, North America |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +501 |
| Codes | BZ · BLZ · 084 |
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Weather data: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), updated hourly · Temperatures on the map
Where Belize ranks
Among the independent states, in 44 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#170 of 194422,924 people#15 of 23 in North America
- Population density#171 of 19418 people per km²#22 of 23 in North America
- Urban population#146 of 19242% urban#19 of 23 in North America
- Fertility rate#95 of 1922.02 births per woman#7 of 23 in North America
- Population growth#72 of 192+1.39% a year#3 of 23 in North America
- Birth rate#82 of 19218.1 births per 1,000 people#5 of 23 in North America
- Death rate#171 of 1925.0 deaths per 1,000 people#19 of 23 in North America
- Children under 15#85 of 19226.3% under 15#5 of 23 in North America
- People over 65#120 of 1925.2% aged 65 and over#20 of 23 in North America
- Net migration#53 of 192+0.9 per 1,000 people#5 of 23 in North America
- Refugees abroad#93 of 1900.26 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#18 of 23 in North America
Health & education
- Life expectancy#98 of 19273.7 years#13 of 23 in North America
- Infant mortality#107 of 19110.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#14 of 23 in North America
- Doctors#106 of 1781.09 doctors per 1,000 people#16 of 20 in North America
- University enrolment#106 of 14524.8% gross enrolment#12 of 15 in North America
- Human Development Index#114 of 190an index of 0.721#17 of 23 in North America
Economy
- GNI per capita#92 of 185$7,530 a person#17 of 22 in North America
- Internet users#98 of 18480% online#10 of 23 in North America
- GDP per capita (PPP)#110 of 184$14,966 a person#17 of 22 in North America
- GDP growth#111 of 187+2.7% a year#12 of 23 in North America
- Inflation#138 of 176+1.1% a year#14 of 22 in North America
- Unemployment#43 of 1788.9% of the labour force#5 of 19 in North America
- Extreme poverty#85 of 1491.0% under $3.00 a day#9 of 14 in North America
- Income inequality (Gini)#38 of 149a Gini index of 39.9#9 of 14 in North America
- Jobs in agriculture#88 of 17816.1% of jobs#5 of 19 in North America
- Jobs in industry#135 of 17815.3% of jobs#17 of 19 in North America
- Jobs in services#59 of 17868.5% of jobs#11 of 19 in North America
- Foreign investment#162 of 1840.0% of GDP#20 of 23 in North America
- Exports#37 of 16855.2% of GDP#1 of 15 in North America
- Military spending#114 of 1551.0% of GDP#6 of 14 in North America
- Mobile subscriptions#166 of 19167 subscriptions per 100 people#22 of 23 in North America
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#130 of 1850.93 tonnes a person#21 of 23 in North America
- Forest area#31 of 19258% forest#5 of 23 in North America
- Renewable energy#78 of 19030.8% renewable#6 of 23 in North America
- Access to electricity#107 of 19299.6% with electricity#14 of 23 in North America
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#101 of 19116.8 µg/m³#7 of 23 in North America
- Protected land#20 of 19137.3% of the land protected#1 of 23 in North America
- Arable land#132 of 1904.6% of the land arable#19 of 23 in North America
- Water stress#159 of 1761.3% of its available fresh water#21 of 22 in North America
- Precipitation#46 of 1801,705 mm a year#12 of 23 in North America
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Belize’s area, lit up on the map →
- Djibouti0.99×Belize and Djibouti are almost exactly the same size.
- El Salvador1.09×Belize is 9% larger than El Salvador.
- Israel1.11×Belize is 11% larger than Israel.
- North Macedonia0.89×Belize is 11% smaller than North Macedonia.
- Slovenia1.13×Belize is 13% larger than Slovenia.
- Rwanda0.87×Belize is 13% smaller than Rwanda.
How many times does Belize fit into…
- Russia: about 744 times
- Canada: about 435 times
- United States: about 428 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Belize shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Summits
- Doyle's Delight1,124 m
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Belize. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Belize
- How big is Belize?
- Belize covers 22,966 km², which makes it number 148 of 194 countries by area. About 422,924 people live there (2025), 18 per km².
- Is Belize bigger than Djibouti?
- Belize and Djibouti are almost exactly the same size. Belize: 22,966 km²; Djibouti: 23,200 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Belize?
- Belize lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Belize?
- Belize shares a land border with Mexico, Guatemala.