Belize — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Belize, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Belize was 8.86% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 14.31% in 1998. The lowest was 6.60% in 2017 (about 1.3× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.25% per year.
Belize ranks 47 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 25%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 5.99%, so Belize sits above it. It peaked in 1998 and has fallen 38% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 17%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 8 of 31 economies; Panama (8.36%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 42% in 2018. That is 2% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 55th of 187 in 1991 → 60th of 187 in 2000 → 68th of 187 in 2010 → 52nd of 187 in 2020 → 43rd of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8.86% | +0.2 pp |
| 2024 | 8.7% | +0.4 pp |
| 2023 | 8.28% | -0.4 pp |
| 2022 | 8.68% | -1.6 pp |
| 2021 | 10.3% | -0.5 pp |
| 2020 | 10.76% | +1.7 pp |
| 2019 | 9.05% | -0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 9.35% | +2.8 pp |
| 2017 | 6.6% | -0.4 pp |
| 2016 | 7% | -0.6 pp |
| 2015 | 7.58% | -0.7 pp |
| 2014 | 8.24% | -0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 8.35% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 8.38% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 8.42% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 8.41% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 8.32% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 8.18% | -0.3 pp |
| 2007 | 8.51% | -0.9 pp |
| 2006 | 9.39% | -1.5 pp |
| 2005 | 10.91% | +0.3 pp |
| 2004 | 10.59% | +0.2 pp |
| 2003 | 10.34% | +0.3 pp |
| 2002 | 10.04% | +1.0 pp |
| 2001 | 9.07% | -1.8 pp |
| 2000 | 10.84% | -2.0 pp |
| 1999 | 12.84% | -1.5 pp |
| 1998 | 14.31% | +1.6 pp |
| 1997 | 12.68% | -1.1 pp |
| 1996 | 13.82% | +1.3 pp |
| 1995 | 12.48% | +1.4 pp |
| 1994 | 11.1% | +1.3 pp |
| 1993 | 9.78% | +0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 9.65% | +0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 9.65% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Belize’s Unemployment in 1992?
9.65% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Belize’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -8.2% in total — about 0.3% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 8.86%; 2024: 8.7%; 2023: 8.28%; 2022: 8.68%; 2021: 10.3%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.