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Belize Economy 2012

SOURCE: 2012 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK AND OTHER SOURCES











Belize Economy 2012
SOURCE: 2012 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK AND OTHER SOURCES


Page last updated on February 21,

Economy - overview:
Tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner in this small economy, followed by exports of marine products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth averaging nearly 4% in 1999-2007. Oil discoveries in 2006 bolstered this growth. Exploration efforts have continued and production has increased a small amount. In February 2007, the government restructured nearly all of its public external commercial debt, which helped reduce interest payments and relieved some of the country's liquidity concerns. Growth slipped to 0% in 2009, 2.7% in 2010, and 2.5% in 2011 as a result of the global slowdown, natural disasters, and a temporary drop in the price of oil. With weak economic growth and a large public debt burden, fiscal spending is likely to be tight. A key government objective remains the reduction of poverty and inequality with the help of international donors. Although Belize has the second highest per capita income in Central America, the average income figure masks a huge income disparity between rich and poor. The 2010 Poverty Assessment shows that more than 4 out of 10 people live in poverty. The sizable trade deficit and heavy foreign debt burden continue to be major concerns.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.754 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178

$2.754 billion (2010 est.)
$2.652 billion (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2011 US dollars
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.5 billion (2011 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
2.5% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134

2.7% (2010 est.)
0% (2009 est.)
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,300 (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119

$8,200 (2010 est.)
$8,100 (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2011 US dollars
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.7%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 19.8%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - industry country ranks ]
services: 58.7% (2011 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - services country ranks ]

Labor force:
120,500
country comparison to the world: 178
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2008 est.)
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 10.2%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 18.1%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 71.7% (2007)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
13.1% (2009)
country comparison to the world: 137

8.2% (2008)
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
43% (2010 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Investment (gross fixed):
25.5% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
[see also: Investment (gross fixed) country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $400 million
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $450 million (2011 est.)
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
26.7% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-3.3% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
83.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18

83% of GDP (2010 est.)
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.1% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55

0.9% (2010 est.)
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
18% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21

12% (31 December 2009 est.)
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
13.9% (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61

13.9% (31 December 2010 est.)
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$365.3 million (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170

$354 million (31 December 2010 est.)
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$1.185 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165

$1.282 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$1.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155

$950 million (31 December 2010 est.)
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Agriculture - products:
bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber

Industries:
garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil

Industrial production growth rate:
1.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Electricity - production:
215.5 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
[see also: Electricity - production country ranks ]

Electricity - consumption:
200.4 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
[see also: Electricity - consumption country ranks ]

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
[see also: Electricity - exports country ranks ]

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
[see also: Electricity - imports country ranks ]

Oil - production:
4,252 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
[see also: Oil - production country ranks ]

Oil - consumption:
7,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
[see also: Oil - consumption country ranks ]

Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
[see also: Oil - exports country ranks ]

Oil - imports:
7,326 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
[see also: Oil - imports country ranks ]

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
[see also: Natural gas - production country ranks ]

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
[see also: Natural gas - consumption country ranks ]

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
[see also: Natural gas - exports country ranks ]

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
[see also: Natural gas - imports country ranks ]

Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
[see also: Natural gas - proved reserves country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$25.3 million (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65

-$4.418 million (2010 est.)
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$511.7 million (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169

$475.7 million (2010 est.)
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood, crude oil

Exports - partners:
US 30.3%, UK 20.8%, Costa Rica 12.7%, Cote dIvoire 4.6%, Nigeria 4.6% (2010)

Imports:
$706.1 million (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184

$647.2 million (2010 est.)
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco

Imports - partners:
US 34%, Mexico 14.3%, Cuba 9.5%, Guatemala 7.6%, China 4.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.3% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$196.8 million (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167

$201.7 million (31 December 2010 est.)
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$1.01 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154

$954.1 million (2008 est.)
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar -

2 (2011 est.)
2 (2010 est.)
2 (2009)
2 (2008)
2 (2007)


NOTE: 1) The information regarding Belize on this page is re-published from the 2012 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Belize Economy 2012 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Belize Economy 2012 should be addressed to the CIA.
2) The rank that you see is the CIA reported rank, which may habe the following issues:
  a) They assign increasing rank number, alphabetically for countries with the same value of the ranked item, whereas we assign them the same rank.
  b) The CIA sometimes assignes counterintuitive ranks. For example, it assigns unemployment rates in increasing order, whereas we rank them in decreasing order






This page was last modified 07-Mar-12
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