Land use in Belize
Belize: Land use was 132,000 hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
132,000 hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
150th
of 224 countries
All-time high
132,000 hectares
in 2021
All-time low
42,000 hectares
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use in Belize, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for land use in Belize is 132,000 hectares, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Belize peaked at 132,000 hectares in 2021 and was at its lowest, 42,000 hectares, in 1961.
Belize ranks 150th of 224 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Land use in Belize, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 42,000 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 42,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 43,000 hectares | +2.4% |
| 1964 | 43,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 43,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 44,000 hectares | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 44,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 44,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 45,000 hectares | +2.3% |
| 1970 | 45,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 46,000 hectares | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 46,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 47,000 hectares | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 47,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 48,000 hectares | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 48,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 49,000 hectares | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 49,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 50,000 hectares | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 52,000 hectares | +4.0% |
| 1981 | 53,000 hectares | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 53,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 53,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 53,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 53,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 55,000 hectares | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 64,000 hectares | +16.4% |
| 1988 | 67,000 hectares | +4.7% |
| 1989 | 72,000 hectares | +7.5% |
| 1990 | 77,000 hectares | +6.9% |
| 1991 | 81,000 hectares | +5.2% |
| 1992 | 87,000 hectares | +7.4% |
| 1993 | 94,000 hectares | +8.0% |
| 1994 | 94,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 96,000 hectares | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 97,000 hectares | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 98,000 hectares | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 98,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 100,000 hectares | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 99,000 hectares | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 99,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 102,000 hectares | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 102,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 102,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 102,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 102,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 102,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 102,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 105,000 hectares | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 107,000 hectares | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 107,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 110,000 hectares | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 110,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 110,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 120,000 hectares | +9.1% |
| 2016 | 120,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 122,000 hectares | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 122,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 124,000 hectares | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 130,000 hectares | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 132,000 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 132,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 132,000 hectares | +0.0% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 132,000 hectares is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.58 million hectares, 8% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Belize's 132,000 hectares is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 544,348 hectares, 24% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 43,333 hectares | 42,000 hectares | 45,000 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 47,500 hectares | 45,000 hectares | 50,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 57,500 hectares | 52,000 hectares | 72,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 92,200 hectares | 77,000 hectares | 100,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 101,700 hectares | 99,000 hectares | 105,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 115,200 hectares | 107,000 hectares | 124,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 131,500 hectares | 130,000 hectares | 132,000 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belize
More environment data for Belize
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.66 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.87 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.287 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.0489 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in Belize?
- Land use in Belize was 132,000 hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land use recorded in Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 132,000 hectares in 2021.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 42,000 hectares in 1961.
- How does Belize rank for land use?
- Belize ranks 150th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belize data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).