Belize vs Guatemala
Belize vs Guatemala: GDP growth
GDP growth: 3.5% a year in Belize in 2024 and 4.3% a year in Guatemala in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Guatemala, by 0.2 percentage points, or 1.06 times that in Belize.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Guatemala has been higher since 2023, when it overtook Belize.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Belize at 2% a year and Guatemala at 3.9% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Belize | Guatemala |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.6 | 4.3 |
| 2024 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| 2023 | 0.5 | 3.5 |
| 2022 | 9.3 | 4.2 |
| 2021 | 18 | 8 |
| 2020 | -13.5 | -1.8 |
| 2019 | 4.3 | 4 |
| 2018 | 0.8 | 3.4 |
| 2017 | -1.8 | 3.1 |
| 2016 | -0 | 2.7 |
| 2015 | 2.8 | 4.1 |
| 2014 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
| 2013 | 4.1 | 3.7 |
| 2012 | 3.9 | 3 |
| 2011 | -0.1 | 4.2 |
| 2010 | 1.4 | 2.9 |
| 2009 | -0.4 | 0.5 |
| 2008 | -1.6 | 3.3 |
| 2007 | 3.3 | 6.3 |
| 2006 | 4.5 | 5.4 |
| 2005 | 2.2 | 3.3 |
| 2004 | 4.8 | 3.1 |
| 2003 | 9.7 | 2.6 |
| 2002 | 5.4 | 3.8 |
| 2001 | 5 | 3.1 |
| 2000 | 12.2 | 2.5 |
| 1999 | 9.4 | 3.7 |
| 1998 | 3.9 | 4.6 |
| 1997 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| 1996 | 1.1 | 2.8 |
| 1995 | 0.7 | 4.4 |
| 1994 | -0 | 3.5 |
| 1993 | 6.1 | 3.4 |
| 1992 | 12.7 | 4.6 |
| 1991 | 11.8 | 3 |
| 1990 | 11.2 | 3.1 |
| 1989 | 15.5 | 3.9 |
| 1988 | 10.9 | 3.9 |
| 1987 | 22 | 3.6 |
| 1986 | 7.3 | 0.1 |
| 1985 | -1.4 | -0.6 |
| 1984 | 11.3 | 0.5 |
| 1983 | 6.1 | -2.5 |
| 1982 | -7.6 | -3.5 |
| 1981 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| 1980 | 5 | 3.7 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Belize | Guatemala |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.9 | 4 |
| 2027 | 2 | 3.8 |
| 2028 | 2 | 3.9 |
| 2029 | 2 | 3.9 |
| 2030 | 2 | 3.9 |
| 2031 | 2 | 3.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Belize vs Guatemala
Health
- Life expectancyBelize: 73.6 years in 2023Guatemala: 72.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBelize: 1.3 per 100 live births in 2024Guatemala: 2.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBelize: 8.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Guatemala: 17.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBelize: 2.84% in 2017Guatemala: 3.22% in 2017
- Suicide rateBelize: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Guatemala: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBelize: 411,100 people in 2023Guatemala: 18.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthBelize: 1.46% a year in 2023Guatemala: 1.55% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBelize: 2.01 births per woman in 2023Guatemala: 2.31 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBelize: 41.6% in 2025Guatemala: 56.3% in 2025
- Median ageBelize: 26 years in 2023Guatemala: 22.6 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBelize: 4.8% in 2023Guatemala: 4.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateBelize: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Guatemala: -0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBelize: 1% of GDP in 2025Guatemala: 0.52% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBelize: $32.9M in 2025Guatemala: $617M in 2025
- Military spending per personBelize: $79 in 2025Guatemala: $34 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBelize: 3.7% of government spending in 2025Guatemala: 3.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBelize: 2,000 people in 2020Guatemala: 43,000 people in 2020
- National powerBelize: 0% of world capability in 2022Guatemala: 0.09% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBelize: 1.32% of the labour force in 2020Guatemala: 0.64% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBelize: 1 million TIV in 2023Guatemala: 6 million TIV in 2023