Belize: the labour market
Labour force is 184,286 (2025), 175th of 187 in the world and 27th of 31 in Latin America & Caribbean. Participation rate is 59.1% (2025), 111th of 187 in the world and 22nd of 31 in Latin America & Caribbean. Women's participation is 46.5% (2025), 135th of 187 in the world and 24th of 31 in Latin America & Caribbean.
Labour: Belize in detail
Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Latin America & Caribbean; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.
| Indicator | Latest | World rank | In region | ~2000 | ~2010 | ~2020 | 10-year change | Region | Income group | World | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour forceLabour force, total | 184,2862025 | 175/187 | 27/31 | 86,164 | 127,831 | 151,949 | +19%since 2015 | 325m | 1.5bn | 3.7bn | |
| Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+ | 59.1%2025 | 111/187 | 22/31 | 59.5% | 61.9% | 54.7% | −4.8 ppsince 2015 | 62.7% | 62.7% | 61.0% | |
| Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+ | 46.5%2025 | 135/187 | 24/31 | 39.8% | 45.0% | 41.5% | −1.8 ppsince 2015 | 51.4% | 53.4% | 48.9% | |
| Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO) | 53.9%2025 | 123/187 | 23/31 | 53.1% | 56.7% | 48.8% | −5.2 ppsince 2015 | 59.3% | 59.5% | 58.1% | |
| UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO) | 8.9%2025 | 47/187 | 8/31 | 10.8% | 8.4% | 10.8% | +1.3 ppsince 2015 | 5.5% | 5.2% | 4.8% | |
| Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO) | 13.5%2025 | 30/187 | 3/31 | 17.8% | 12.8% | 16.3% | +2.4 ppsince 2015 | 6.5% | 5.1% | 4.9% | |
| Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO) | 19.3%2025 | 53/187 | 11/31 | 22.0% | 16.9% | 22.4% | +2.8 ppsince 2015 | 12.2% | 15.6% | 13.4% | |
| Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, % | 24.9%2019 | 50/170 | 6/28 | · | 12.0%2012 | 24.9%2019 | — | 18.1% | 17.3% | — | |
| Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment | 64.8%2025 | 99/187 | 17/31 | 66.2% | 67.9% | 64.0% | −2.7 ppsince 2015 | 64.4% | 61.3% | 53.6% | |
| Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO) | 29.8%2025 | 91/187 | 15/31 | 30.8% | 29.3% | 30.7% | +3.6 ppsince 2015 | 31.5% | 34.8% | 42.4% | |
| Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment | 16.1%2025 | 88/187 | 8/31 | 26.0% | 18.6% | 17.8% | −1.9 ppsince 2015 | 12.7% | 19.8% | 25.8% | |
| Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment | 15.3%2025 | 139/187 | 28/31 | 17.5% | 17.1% | 15.6% | −0.1 ppsince 2015 | 20.5% | 27.7% | 23.7% | |
| Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment | 68.5%2025 | 67/187 | 16/31 | 56.6% | 64.3% | 66.6% | +2.0 ppsince 2015 | 66.8% | 52.4% | 50.6% |
Better than ten years ago
No rated indicator improved over the decade.
Worse than ten years ago
- Women's participation−1.8 pp46.5% in 2025
- Employment rate−5.2 pp53.9% in 2025
- Unemployment+1.3 pp8.9% in 2025
- Female unemployment+2.4 pp13.5% in 2025
Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).
Belize and its neighbours
Countries sharing a land border with Belize. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.
| Indicator | Belize | Mexico | Guatemala |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour force | 184,2862025 | 61.7m2025 | 7.7m2025 |
| Participation rate | 59.1%2025 | 61.6%2025 | 59.6%2025 |
| Women's participation | 46.5%2025 | 47.5%2025 | 38.3%2025 |
| Employment rate | 53.9%2025 | 60.0%2025 | 58.1%2025 |
| Unemployment | 8.9%2025 | 2.7%2025 | 2.6%2025 |
| Female unemployment | 13.5%2025 | 2.7%2025 | 3.3%2025 |
| Youth unemployment | 19.3%2025 | 5.7%2025 | 4.8%2025 |
| Youth NEET rate | 24.9%2019 | 16.2%2025 | 22.3%2025 |
| Wage workers | 64.8%2025 | 69.2%2025 | 60.9%2025 |