Population 230,160 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 42% (male 49,486; female 47,596)
15-64 years: 54% (male 63,259; female 61,567)
65 years and over: 4% (male 4,048; female 4,204) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate 2.42% (1998 est.)

Birth rate 31.05 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate 5.5 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate -1.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate 32.36 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 68.97 years
male: 67.01 years
female: 71.03 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate 3.87 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality
noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean

Ethnic groups mestizo 44%, Creole 30%, Maya 11%, Garifuna 7%, other 8%

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)

Literacy
definition: age 14 and over has ever attended school
total population: 70.3%
male: 70.3%
female: 70.3% (1991 est.)
note: other sources list the literacy rate as high as 75%

NOTE: The information regarding Belize on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Belize People 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Belize People 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.