Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belize instead of Guatemala, you would:
Health
live 1.0 years longer
In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Belize, that number is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
have 15.3% more access to essential health services
Guatemala scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belize scores 68 as of 2021.
be 15.4% less likely to die by suicide
Guatemala has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belize, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
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 2024. In Belize, that number is 1.2% of people as of 2024.
be 55.2% more likely to be obese
In Guatemala, 28.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belize, that number is 43.4% of people as of 2024.
see 38.7% less spent on your healthcare
Guatemala spends $935 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belize spends $573 as of 2023.
have 15.2% fewer doctors per person
Guatemala has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Belize has 10.9 as of 2018.
Economy
make 19.2% more money
Guatemala has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Belize, the GDP per capita is $7,865 as of 2025.
be 3.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Guatemala, 2.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belize, that number is 8.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 28.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Guatemala, approximately 94.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belize, 67.0 women do as of 2023.
be 37.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Guatemala, approximately 17.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Belize, on the other hand, 10.8 children do as of 2024.
have 12.5% fewer children
In Guatemala, there are approximately 20.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belize, there are 18.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 32.9% more likely to have internet access
In Guatemala, approximately 60.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Belize, about 80.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 39.0% less on healthcare
Guatemala spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belize, that number is 4.2% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 50.0% more on education
Guatemala spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Belize spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 20.1% more likely to be murdered
Guatemala has a homicide rate of 23.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Belize, that number is 28.1 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 38.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Guatemala, road accidents kill 12.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belize, they kill 17.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 82.6% more home broadband
Guatemala has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Belize has 9.8 as of 2022.
live with 78.0% less strain on fresh water
Guatemala withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belize withdraws 1% as of 2022.
Environment
be 47.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Guatemala, air pollution causes 40.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belize, it causes 21.0 as of 2019.
emit 16.2% less CO2
Guatemala emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Belize emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Guatemala vs. Belize
Belize: At a glance
How big is Belize compared to Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.