Languages spoken in Belize
North America · Capital: Belmopan · Population 415,789
In Belize, two languages have official status: English and Spanish. English is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 77% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 320,158 people. After English, the most widely spoken are Spanish at 55% and Qʼeqchiʼ at 6.5%. English belongs to the Indo-European language family. English is also spoken in all two of its neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Belize, and their shares add up to 138.5% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.4 of them.
What languages are spoken in Belize?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| EnglishIndo-European | 77% | Official | 320,158 |
| SpanishIndo-European | 55% | Official | 228,684 |
| QʼeqchiʼMayan | 6.5% | Spoken | 27,026 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Belize?
In Belize, two languages have official status: English and Spanish. English is spoken by an estimated 77% of the population, or roughly 320,158 people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak English in Belize?
An estimated 77% of Belize's 415,789 people speak English, which works out at roughly 320,158 speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Belize
- Capital
- Belmopan
- Population
- 415,789
- Continent
- North America
- Area
- 22,966 km²
- Currency
- BZD
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- BZ / BLZ / 084
Which countries border Belize?
Belize shares a land border with two countries: Guatemala and Mexico. English, the most widely spoken language in Belize, is also spoken in Guatemala and Mexico.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.