Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Belize
Belize: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 53.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
53.2%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
59th
of 214 countries
All-time high
54.8%
in 2010
All-time low
49.0%
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Belize, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Belize is 53.2%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Belize peaked at 54.8% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 49.0%, in 1970.
That places Belize 59th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Belize, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 49.0% | — |
| 1971 | 49.2% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 49.4% | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 49.5% | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 49.7% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 49.8% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 50.0% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 50.1% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 50.3% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 50.5% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 50.6% | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 50.8% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 51.0% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 51.2% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 51.4% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 51.6% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 51.8% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 52.0% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 52.2% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 52.3% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 52.5% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 52.7% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 52.9% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 53.2% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 53.4% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 53.6% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 53.8% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 54.0% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 54.2% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 54.4% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 54.6% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 54.6% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 54.6% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 54.7% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 54.7% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 54.7% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 54.7% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 54.7% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 54.7% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 54.8% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 54.8% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 54.8% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 54.8% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 54.7% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 54.7% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 54.6% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 54.5% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 54.4% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 54.3% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 54.1% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 54.0% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 53.8% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 53.6% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 53.4% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 53.2% | -0.4% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 53.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 34.5%, 1.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Belize's 53.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 28.5%, 1.9× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 49.8% | 49.0% | 50.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 51.5% | 50.6% | 52.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 53.5% | 52.5% | 54.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.7% | 54.6% | 54.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.6% | 54.1% | 54.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.6% | 53.2% | 54.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belize
More population data for Belize
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.7058 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.0228 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.7058 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.2549 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 538.84 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.23 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.18 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.713 (2100)
- Population density 19.61 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 17,603 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Belize?
- Rural population in Belize was 53.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 54.8% in 2010.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.0% in 1970.
- How does Belize rank for rural population?
- Belize ranks 59th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belize data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release