Country profile

Belize

Latin America & Caribbean Upper middle income417K inhabitants

Last updated December 1, 2025

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Composite GEFRI Score

Emerging readiness

Belize demonstrates early-stage readiness (41st percentile worldwide). Investments are generating initial gains, yet substantial gaps persist in several dimensions. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.

46.05Composite score
Global percentile
41st
Global rank
#105
Regional rank
#17
Viewing data for
Infrastructure
68.04
65th percentileGlobal avg. 56.53
Human Capital
44.96
35th percentileGlobal avg. 47.25
Innovation
13.02
1st percentileGlobal avg. 43.36
Governance
48.55
54th percentileGlobal avg. 47.71
Access & Parity
55.69
51st percentileGlobal avg. 49.41

Country profile

Belize trails global peers in Innovation (13, 1st percentile). A coordinated reform effort is needed to strengthen education futures readiness.

Wide gaps between dimensions reveal structural weaknesses that slow coordinated progress. Literacy or tertiary enrollment gaps thin the talent pipeline and limit the country’s capacity to develop future-ready skills.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.

Human Capital presents a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning. Regionally, Innovation lags peers the most, signalling where investment could have the highest impact.

Note: Most indicators rely on observed data, offering a dependable evidence base for decisions.

Key insights

  • Places 105th worldwide.
  • Holds a regional position of 17th within Latin America & Caribbean .
  • Scores range from Infrastructure (68.0) to Innovation (13.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.
  • Trails regional peers most clearly in Innovation.

Regional peers: Latin America & Caribbean

Composite GEFRI score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
341Chile69.86
412Argentina63.78
463Uruguay62.23
——Cayman IslandsMicrostate60.65
——Antigua and BarbudaMicrostate57.78
674Peru56.70
——GrenadaMicrostate56.16
——St. Kitts and NevisMicrostate55.76
745Colombia54.99
——Turks and Caicos IslandsMicrostate54.87
——CuracaoMicrostate54.63
756Mexico54.62
807Cuba52.99
818Brazil52.92
——BarbadosMicrostate52.49
849Puerto Rico (US)52.36
——DominicaMicrostate52.30
8810Ecuador50.82
——St. LuciaMicrostate50.58
9211Dominican Republic50.53
9412Bolivia49.89
9613Costa Rica49.46
——St. Vincent and the GrenadinesMicrostate48.23
10114Jamaica47.64
——Virgin Islands (U.S.)Microstate47.33
10215Bahamas, The47.10
10316Panama46.77
——ArubaMicrostate46.66
——St. Martin (French part)Microstate46.21
10517Belize46.05
——British Virgin IslandsMicrostate45.79
——Sint Maarten (Dutch part)Microstate45.13
10618Paraguay44.54
10919Trinidad and Tobago43.11
11520Venezuela, RBFCS39.24
12121Guyana36.76
12322El Salvador36.18
12523Suriname35.67
13224Honduras32.89
13625Guatemala31.74
14126Nicaragua29.41
16227HaitiFCS23.21