Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.7 years less

In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Belize, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 79.9% less money

Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in Belize, the GDP per capita is $12,800 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Belize, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 29.5% less likely to have internet access

In Iowa, approximately 87.9% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Belize, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

View global rankings →

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: Iowa vs. Belize

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Belize is 21.6% cheaper than Iowa
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Iowa is about 6 times bigger than Belize.
→

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.
Read more

How big is Belize compared to Iowa? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Belize or United States. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.