Unemployment rate in Belize
Belize: Unemployment rate was 8.86 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
8.86
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
47th
of 186 countries
All-time high
14.31
in 1998
All-time low
6.6
in 2017
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Belize, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Belize stood at 8.86.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 16.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Belize peaked at 14.31 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 6.6, in 2017.
Belize ranks 47th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Belize, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 9.65 | — |
| 1992 | 9.65 | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 9.78 | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 11.1 | +13.5% |
| 1995 | 12.48 | +12.4% |
| 1996 | 13.82 | +10.7% |
| 1997 | 12.68 | -8.2% |
| 1998 | 14.31 | +12.9% |
| 1999 | 12.84 | -10.3% |
| 2000 | 10.84 | -15.6% |
| 2001 | 9.07 | -16.3% |
| 2002 | 10.04 | +10.7% |
| 2003 | 10.34 | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 10.59 | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 10.91 | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 9.39 | -13.9% |
| 2007 | 8.51 | -9.4% |
| 2008 | 8.18 | -3.9% |
| 2009 | 8.32 | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 8.41 | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 8.42 | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 8.38 | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 8.35 | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 8.24 | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 7.58 | -8.1% |
| 2016 | 7 | -7.6% |
| 2017 | 6.6 | -5.8% |
| 2018 | 9.35 | +41.7% |
| 2019 | 9.05 | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 10.76 | +18.9% |
| 2021 | 10.3 | -4.3% |
| 2022 | 8.68 | -15.7% |
| 2023 | 8.28 | -4.7% |
| 2024 | 8.7 | +5.1% |
| 2025 | 8.86 | +1.8% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 8.86 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.63, 1.6× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Belize's 8.86 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 5.99, 1.5× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.81 | 9.65 | 14.31 | 9 |
| 2000s | 9.62 | 8.18 | 10.91 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.14 | 6.6 | 9.35 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.26 | 8.28 | 10.76 | 6 |
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 unemployment rate in Belize?
- Unemployment rate in Belize was 8.86 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 14.31 in 1998.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.6 in 2017.
- How does Belize rank for unemployment rate?
- Belize ranks 47th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belize data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).