Belize

Summary

Official Name
Population: 404,900
Principal Languages: English
Literacy Rate: 83% (Roser and Ortiz-Ospina 2018)
International Conventions: CDE (1960), CPPDCE (2006), CSICH (2012), ICCPR (1966), UNCRPD (2006), UNDRIP (2007)
Deaf Population: 3,000
Language Counts: The number of established languages listed for Belize is 8. All are living languages. Of these, 5 are indigenous and 3 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 3 are institutional, 1 is developing, 2 are vigorous, and 2 are in trouble. Also listed are 3 unestablished languages.

Languages

American Sign Language ase: Users: 3,000 in Belize (2011 L. Parks). Estimated population 3,000 (2011 L. Parks), approximately 0.7% of the total population. Another estimate, assuming 0.2%–0.4%: 800–1,600 (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Status: Unestablished. Alternate Names: ASL, Belize Sign Language, Belizean Sign Language Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Belize English Creole bzj: Widespread, including communities on Ambergris and Caulker cayes. Users: 130,000 in Belize (2014 UNSD). Total users in all countries: 170,000. Status: 3 (Wider communication). Developed and grew between 1650 and 1930 as a result of the slave trade. Lingua franca of Belize. L1 of some Garifunas, Mestizos, Maya and other ethnic groups. Alternate Names: Belize Kriol English, Miskito Coast English Creole, Western Caribbean Creole Autonym: Kriol Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Western
Chinese zho: Users: 2,600 in Belize (2013 census). Status: Unestablished.
English eng: Widespread. Users: 240,000 in Belize, all users. L1 users: 184,000 in Belize (2014 UNSD). L2 users: 56,000 (Crystal 2003a). Status: 1 (National). De facto national language. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Garifuna cab: Belize, Stann Creek, and Toledo districts: 6 villages. Users: 8,440 in Belize (2014 UNSD). Ethnic population: 15,100 (2013 census). Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Caribe, Central American Carib, Garínagu, “Black Carib” (pej.), “Moreno” (pej.) Classification: Maipurean, Northern, Maritime, Ta-Maipurean, Iñeri
Kekchí kek: Southwest corner, inland following east slopes, Maya Mountains, Toledo and Stann Creek districts; also in Cayo District, Belmopan area. Users: 17,600 in Belize (2014 UNSD). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Cacché, Ketchi, Kʼeqchi’, Q’eqchi’, Quecchí Classification: Mayan, Yucatecan-Core Mayan, K’ichean-Mamean, K’ichean
Maya, Mopán mop: Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo districts: highlands. Users: 10,600 in Belize (2014 UNSD). Total users in all countries: 12,610. Status: 5* (Developing). Alternate Names: Mopan, Mopane Autonym: Maya Mopán Classification: Mayan, Yucatecan-Core Mayan, Yucatecan, Mopan-Itzá
Maya, Yucatec yua: Cayo district: San Antonio and Succoths; possibly also Corozal and Orange Walk districts near the Mexico border. Users: 2,520 in Belize (2014 UNSD). Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Maaya, Maaya t’aan, Maayáa, Maya, Yucantán Maya, Yucateco Classification: Mayan, Yucatecan-Core Mayan, Yucatecan, Yucatec-Lacandon
Plautdietsch pdt: Cayo and Orange Walk districts: inland. Users: 9,360 in Belize (2014 UNSD). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: German, Mennonite German Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
Sindhi snd: Users: 1,200 in Belize (2011). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Northwestern, Sindhi
Spanish spa: Corozal, Orange Walk, and Cayo districts. Users: 201,000 in Belize, all users. L1 users: 165,000 in Belize (2014 UNSD). L2 users: 36,000 (Instituto Cervantes 2019). Status: 3 (Wider communication). Alternate Names: Castellano, Español Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian

Languages by Status

1 (National)

English

[eng] 1 (National). De facto national language. 240,000 in Belize, all users. L1 users: 184,000 in Belize (2014 UNSD). L2 users: 56,000 (Crystal 2003a).

3 (Wider communication)

Belize English Creole

[bzj] 3 (Wider communication). Developed and grew between 1650 and 1930 as a result of the slave trade. Lingua franca of Belize. L1 of some Garifunas, Mestizos, Maya and other ethnic groups. 130,000 in Belize (2014 UNSD). Total users in all countries: 170,000.

Spanish

[spa] 3 (Wider communication). 201,000 in Belize, all users. L1 users: 165,000 in Belize (2014 UNSD). L2 users: 36,000 (Instituto Cervantes 2019).

5 (Developing)

Maya, Mopán

[mop] 5* (Developing). 10,600 in Belize (2014 UNSD). Total users in all countries: 12,610.

6a (Vigorous)

Kekchí

[kek] 6a* (Vigorous). 17,600 in Belize (2014 UNSD).

Plautdietsch

[pdt] 6a* (Vigorous). 9,360 in Belize (2014 UNSD).

6b (Threatened)

Garifuna

[cab] 6b (Threatened). 8,440 in Belize (2014 UNSD). Ethnic population: 15,100 (2013 census).

Maya, Yucatec

[yua] 6b (Threatened). 2,520 in Belize (2014 UNSD).

Unestablished

American Sign Language

[ase] Unestablished. 3,000 in Belize (2011 L. Parks). Estimated population 3,000 (2011 L. Parks), approximately 0.7% of the total population. Another estimate, assuming 0.2%–0.4%: 800–1,600 (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL).

Chinese

[zho] Unestablished. 2,600 in Belize (2013 census).

Sindhi

[snd] Unestablished. 1,200 in Belize (2011).

Maps

Belize

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Belize with respect to their level of language vitality. Each individual language that has an entry for Belize is included in the profile. The horizontal axis represents the estimated level of vitality. The height of each bar indicates the number of languages that are estimated to be at the given level.
The vitality levels and the color coding of the bars match the scheme used in the guide on How many languages are endangered? In this scheme, the levels and colors are as follows:
- Dark green = Institutional (EGIDS 0-4) — The language has been developed to the point that it is used and sustained by institutions beyond the home and community.
- Light green = Stable (EGIDS 5-6a) — The language is not being sustained by formal institutions, but It is still the norm in the home and community that all children learn and use the language.
- Red = Endangered (EGIDS 6b-9) — It is no longer the norm that children learn and use this language.
These three summary levels have been derived by grouping levels in the Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (EGIDS), which is the more fine-grained scale that Ethnologue uses to assess the status of every language in terms of development versus endangerment; see the Language Status page for a description of the levels of that scale. See also the pages on Development and Endangerment for more discussion.
Language Status Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Belize with respect to their status of language development versus language endangerment. Each individual language that has an entry for Belize is included in the profile. The horizontal axis represents the estimated level of development or endangerment as measured on the EGIDS scale. (See the pages on Development and Endangerment for a fuller explanation.) The height of each bar indicates the number of languages that are estimated to be at the given level. Consult the Status listings for Belize in order to see the specific languages for each level.
The color coding of the bars matches the color scheme used in the summary profile graphs on the navigation maps for the site. In this scheme, the EGIDS levels are grouped as follows:
- Purple = Institutional (EGIDS 0-4) — The language has been developed to the point that it is used and sustained by institutions beyond the home and community.
- Blue = Developing (EGIDS 5) — The language is in vigorous use, with literature in a standardized form being used by some though this is not yet widespread or sustainable.
- Green = Vigorous (EGIDS 6a) — The language is unstandardized and in vigorous use among all generations.
- Yellow = In trouble (EGIDS 6b-7) — Intergenerational transmission is in the process of being broken, but the child-bearing generation can still use the language so it is possible that revitalization efforts could restore transmission of the language in the home.
- Red = Dying (EGIDS 8a-9) — The only fluent users (if any) are older than child-bearing age, so it is too late to restore natural intergenerational transmission through the home; a mechanism outside the home would need to be developed.
- Black = Extinct (EGIDS 10) — The language has fallen completely out of use and no one retains a sense of ethnic identity associated with the language.

Resources

View Terms
Each Ethnologue country digest is a licensed product with restricted terms of use. Before downloading the product, you must agree to the following terms:
- This is a license for individual use. Just as with a conventionally published book, it is a violation of copyright to make a copy and give it to others.
- You may not redistribute this work in any form, including ingesting the contents into a database that is shared with others or posting it on a web site (whether public or private).
To inquire about permission for reuse or redistribution, please use the Contact Us form in the footer.
I agree to the digest terms of use.
Digest of the languages of Belize ($149.95, 21 page PDF)

Belize

Summary

Languages

Languages by Status

Maps

Belize

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile

Language Status Profile

Resources

Contributions

Editorial Action