Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belize instead of Guatemala, you would:

Health

live 2.9 years longer

In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022. In Belize, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 6.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Guatemala, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Belize, that number is 1.2% of people as of 2020.

be 13.7% more likely to be obese

In Guatemala, 21.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belize, that number is 24.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 30.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Guatemala, 59.3% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Belize, however, that number is 41.0% as of 2013.

be 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Guatemala, 2.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belize, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

Life

be 57.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Guatemala, approximately 26.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Belize, on the other hand, 11.2 children do as of 2022.

be 35.4% more likely to die during childbirth

In Guatemala, approximately 96.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belize, 130.0 women do as of 2020.

have 17.3% fewer children

In Guatemala, there are approximately 21.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belize, there are 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 21.6% more likely to have internet access

In Guatemala, approximately 51.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belize, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 2.8 times more on education

Guatemala spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Belize spends 8.7% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Belize: At a glance

Belize is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 22,806 sq km. Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high unemployment, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, high crime rates, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.
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How big is Belize compared to Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.

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