Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belize
Belize: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 9.1% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belize, 1993–2019
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belize stood at 9.1%.
That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belize peaked at 14.3% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 6.6%, in 2017.
Belize ranks 38th of 185 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belize, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 9.8% | — |
| 1994 | 11.1% | +13.4% |
| 1995 | 12.5% | +12.5% |
| 1996 | 13.8% | +10.7% |
| 1997 | 12.7% | -8.3% |
| 1998 | 14.3% | +12.9% |
| 1999 | 12.8% | -10.3% |
| 2001 | 9.1% | -29.4% |
| 2002 | 10.0% | +10.7% |
| 2005 | 10.9% | +8.7% |
| 2006 | 9.4% | -13.9% |
| 2007 | 8.5% | -9.4% |
| 2008 | 8.2% | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 14.3% | +74.4% |
| 2013 | 8.3% | -41.5% |
| 2014 | 8.2% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 7.6% | -8.1% |
| 2016 | 7.0% | -7.6% |
| 2017 | 6.6% | -5.8% |
| 2018 | 9.3% | +41.7% |
| 2019 | 9.1% | -3.1% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 9.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 1.6× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Belize's 9.1% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.3%, 1.4× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.4% | 9.8% | 14.3% | 7 |
| 2000s | 9.3% | 8.2% | 10.9% | 6 |
| 2010s | 8.8% | 6.6% | 14.3% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Belize
More reference data data for Belize
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0139 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0337 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0813 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0041 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0813 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0467 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0206 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1856 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.399 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0225 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belize?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belize was 9.1% in 2019, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 14.3% in 1998.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.6% in 2017.
- How does Belize rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Belize ranks 38th out of 185 countries with data for 2019.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.