Female labor force participation rate (Labour Force) in Belize
Belize: Female labor force participation rate (Labour Force) was 57.2% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Female labor force participation rate in Belize, 1960–2019
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Belize recorded 57.2% for female labor force participation rate in 2019. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
The figure is up 5.4% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rate in Belize peaked at 57.2% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 10.3%, in 1970.
That places Belize 82nd out of 194 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rate (Labour Force) in Belize, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 18.8% | — |
| 1970 | 10.3% | -44.9% |
| 1994 | 34.8% | +236.6% |
| 1996 | 21.0% | -39.7% |
| 1997 | 38.6% | +83.8% |
| 1998 | 39.6% | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 39.6% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 44.5% | +12.3% |
| 2012 | 53.7% | +20.6% |
| 2013 | 46.5% | -13.3% |
| 2014 | 47.5% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 47.9% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 49.2% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 48.8% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 54.2% | +11.1% |
| 2019 | 57.2% | +5.4% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 57.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 52.2%, 1.1× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Belize's 57.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 53.7%, 1.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female labor force participation rate (Labour Force) in Belize changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +236.6% | 10.3% | 34.8% |
| 1997 | +83.8% | 21.0% | 38.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.8% | 18.8% | 18.8% | 1 |
| 1970s | 10.3% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 34.7% | 21.0% | 39.6% | 5 |
| 2000s | 44.5% | 44.5% | 44.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 50.6% | 46.5% | 57.2% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Belize
More work & labour data for Belize
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7058 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6517 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7615 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.152 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 338.14 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 254.28 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 219.33 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 228.04 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 447.37 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rate in Belize?
- Female labor force participation rate in Belize was 57.2% in 2019, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female labor force participation rate recorded in Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 57.2% in 2019.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rate recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.3% in 1970.
- How does Belize rank for female labor force participation rate?
- Belize ranks 82nd out of 194 countries with data for 2019.
- Is female labor force participation rate rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belize data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are economically active (employed or unemployed). Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.