Belize Demographics Profile 2000

Population

249,183 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:43% (male 54,009; female 51,945)
15-64 years:54% (male 68,052; female 66,366)
65 years and over:3% (male 4,298; female 4,513) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate

2.75% (2000 est.)

Birth rate

32.29 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

4.81 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.95 male(s)/female
total population:1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate

25.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:70.91 years
male:68.66 years
female:73.28 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.14 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality

noun:Belizean(s)
adjective:Belizean

Ethnic groups

mestizo 44.1%, Creole 31%, Maya 9.2%, Garifuna 6.2%, other 9.5%

Religions

Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% (1980)

Languages

English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole

Literacy

definition:age 15 and over can read and write
total population:70.3%
male:70.3%
female:70.3% (1991 est.)
note:other sources list the literacy rate as high as 75%