Belize
Free
88
100
| PR Political Rights | 35 40 |
| CL Civil Liberties | 53 60 |
Last Year's Score & Status
87
100
Free
A country or territory’s Freedom in the World status depends on its aggregate Political Rights score, on a scale of 0–40, and its aggregate Civil Liberties score, on a scale of 0–60.
See the methodology.
Belize is a democracy that has experienced regular rotations of power through competitive elections. Civil liberties are mostly respected. Government corruption is a concern, as is the high rate of violent crime. Authorities have been slow to address persistent police brutality and human trafficking within the country’s borders.
- Prime Minister John Briceño visited Guatemala in August and held talks with that country’s President Bernardo Arévalo, discussing security and trade cooperation. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to finalize border demarcation after an International Court of Justice ruling on their long-standing territorial dispute, which was expected in 2025.
- Municipal elections were held in March, and the governing center-left People’s United Party (PUP) largely maintained its position, winning 61 of the 67 contested council seats. The center-right United Democratic Party (UDP) took the remainder; 23 of the winning candidates were women.
- Despite the government’s overall improvements on transparency issues, concerns about potential malfeasance in the sale and acquisition of public land persisted during the year. It was reported in August that the government had paid an inflated sum for land where a hospital was to be constructed, and in October the media reported evidence that former Belmopan Mayor Sheran Palacio and other individuals with political ties had acquired public land at highly discounted prices.
- Violent crime remained a policy challenge, and temporary states of emergency—including curfews—were again declared to suppress gang-related violence concentrated in certain areas. However, the number of homicides continued an overall decline over the past several years: the figure for 2024 was 89, similar to the 87 recorded in 2023 but down from 143 in 2018.
- In November, the National Assembly adopted legislation that increased the legal marriage age to 18 and removed a provision that had permitted parents or guardians to consent to the marriage of minors.
This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.
For additional background information, see last year’s full report.
A1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? | 4.004 4.004 |
A2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? | 4.004 4.004 |
A3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? | 4.004 4.004 |
B1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? | 4.004 4.004 |
B2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? | 4.004 4.004 |
B3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are the people’s political choices free from domination by forces that are external to the political sphere, or by political forces that employ extrapolitical means? | 4.004 4.004 |
B4
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, racial, religious, gender, LGBT+, and other relevant groups) have full political rights and electoral opportunities? | 2.002 4.004 |
C1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government? | 4.004 4.004 |
C2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? | 2.002 4.004 |
C3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Does the government operate with openness and transparency? | 3.003 4.004 |
Score Change: The score improved from 2 to 3 because the incumbent government has made efforts to bolster transparency, and recent shortcomings related to procurement have not been as severe as the scandals and illegal expenditures identified under the previous government.
D1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are there free and independent media? | 4.004 4.004 |
D2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private? | 4.004 4.004 |
D3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free from extensive political indoctrination? | 4.004 4.004 |
D4
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution? | 4.004 4.004 |
E1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there freedom of assembly? | 4.004 4.004 |
E2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights– and governance-related work? | 4.004 4.004 |
E3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there freedom for trade unions and similar professional or labor organizations? | 3.003 4.004 |
F1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there an independent judiciary? | 4.004 4.004 |
F2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Does due process prevail in civil and criminal matters? | 3.003 4.004 |
F3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Is there protection from the illegitimate use of physical force and freedom from war and insurgencies? | 3.003 4.004 |
F4
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population? | 3.003 4.004 |
G1
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do individuals enjoy freedom of movement, including the ability to change their place of residence, employment, or education? | 4.004 4.004 |
G2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Are individuals able to exercise the right to own property and establish private businesses without undue interference from state or nonstate actors? | 3.003 4.004 |
G3
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do individuals enjoy personal social freedoms, including choice of marriage partner and size of family, protection from domestic violence, and control over appearance? | 3.003 4.004 |
G4
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do individuals enjoy equality of opportunity and freedom from economic exploitation? | 3.003 4.004 |
Country Facts
-
Population
405,272 -
Global Freedom Score
88 100 free
