Today, the Statistical Institute of Belize published its latest statistics on the labor force in April 2026, the gross domestic product for the 1st quarter of 2026, the consumer price index, external trade, and the consumer confidence index for May 2026.
Labor Force Survey
Preliminary results from the Statistical Institute of Belize’s most recent Labour Force Survey (LFS) indicate that the unemployment rate in April 2026 was 1.9 percent, down from 2.1 percent in April 2025. The decline was largely attributable to lower labour force participation among working-age persons, particularly women. Compared to April 2025, the labour force decreased by 13,313 persons to 170,056. Employment also declined by 12,611 persons to 166,894, while the number of unemployed persons fell by 702 to 3,162.
Click the following link to read more: Labour Force Survey, April 2026
Gross Domestic Product
The Statistical Institute of Belize’s preliminary Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates for the first quarter of 2026, from January to March, indicated that the value of goods and services produced in the country totaled $1.454 billion. This was an increase of $70.8 million or 5.1 percent, when compared to the $1.383 billion produced during the first quarter of 2025
Click the following link to read more: Gross Domestic Product, 1st Quarter 2026
Consumer Price Index
For May 2026, the Statistical Institute of Belize’s monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) survey showed that the All-Items CPI, which summarizes price levels across all categories of consumer goods and services, stood at 124.8. This marked an increase from 119.6 in May 2025, reflecting a national monthly inflation rate of 4.3 percent
The year-to-date inflation rate for the first five months of 2026, compared with the first five months of 2025, stood at 2.0 percent. While almost all of the major CPI categories recorded increases during this period, the overall rise was mainly driven by higher prices for ‘Transport’ (3.6 percent); ‘Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages’ (1.9 percent), and ‘Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and other Fuels’ (1.5 percent).
Click the following link to read more: Consumer Price Index, May 2026
Merchandise Trade
Belize’s total merchandise imports for May 2026 were valued at $300.1 million. This represented an increase of 22.8 percent or $55.6 million compared to May 2025, when imports were valued at $244.5 million. Merchandise imports for the period January to May 2026 totaled $1.375 billion, representing an increase of 18.7 percent or $216.4 million compared to $1.159 billion recorded during the same period of 2025.
Total domestic exports for May 2026 amounted to $32.4 million, down by 29.5 percent or $13.5 million when compared to merchandise exports for May 2025, which were valued at $46.0 million. Merchandise exports for the period January to May 2026 totaled $140.6 million, down 13.5 percent or $21.9 million from the first five months of 2025, when merchandise exports were valued at $116.6 million.
Click the following link to read more: External Trade, May 2026
Consumer Confidence Index
The national Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) stood at 44.0 in April 2026, down 3.7 percent from 45.7 in March 2026. This continues the downward trend observed since the beginning of the year, reflecting weakening consumer sentiment driven by declines in both the ‘Expectations’ and ‘Present’ components.
Click the following link to read more: Consumer Confidence Index, May 2026
