Languages of Belize

{{Short description|none}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Languages of | country = Belize |image= Xunantunich-Eingang.jpg |caption=Sign in English at Xunantunich, with the Mayan name translated into English |sign=American Sign Language | official = English | vernacular = Belizean English, Belizean Spanish, Belizean Creole | indigenous = Q'eqchi', Mopan, Yucatec Maya | minority = German, Garifuna, Plautdietsch | foreign = Spanish }} The major languages spoken in Belize include English, Spanish and Kriol, all three spoken by more than 40% of the population. Mayan languages are also spoken in certain areas.

English is the official language and the primary language of public education, though spoken natively by a minority of people as a first language. Spanish is taught in primary and secondary schools as well. Multilingualism is very common, with a majority of the population speaking both English and Spanish, and just under half also knowing Kriol. The percentage of literacy in Belize as of 2021 is 82.68% for those aged 15 or older.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Belize Population |url=https://countrymeters.info/en/Belize |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820165015/https://countrymeters.info/en/Belize |archive-date=2021-08-20 |access-date=2021-08-20 |website=Countrymeters |language=en}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- |+ style="padding-bottom:1em;" | Languages spoken in Belize (2022)<ref name=":0">{{Cite report |url=https://sib.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/Languages_Infographic_2022.pdf|title=Languages spoken in Belize according to the 2022 Census|last=Statistical Institute of Belize |date=2022|language=en |access-date=2025-08-18}}</ref> |- class="hintergrundfarbe5" ! Language ! speakers ! percentage |- | English || align="right" | 278,390 || align="right" | 75.5% |- | Spanish || align="right" | 199,393 || align="right" | 54.0% |- | Belizean Creole || align="right" | 180,792 || align="right" | 49.0% |- | Q'eqchi' Maya || align="right" | 23,315 || align="right" | 6.3% |- | Mopan Maya || align="right" | 14,479 || align="right" | 3.9% |- | German* || align="right" | 11,294 || align="right" | 3.1% |- | Garifuna || align="right" | 7,481 || align="right" | 2.0% |- | Yucatec Maya || align="right" | 1,822 || align="right" | 0.5% |- | Chinese** || align="right" | 1,420 || align="right" | 0.4% |- | Other languages || align="right" | 3,017 || align="right" | 0.8% |} <nowiki>*</nowiki>German includes Plautdietsch and Standard German <nowiki>**</nowiki>Chinese includes Cantonese and Mandarin

==Major languages by district==

{{Multiple image | total_width = 300 | perrow = 3 / 4 | image1 = English language in Belize (2022).svg | image2 = Spanish language in Belize (2022).svg | image3 = Creole language in Belize (2022).svg | image4 = Mayan languages in Belize (2022).svg | image5 = German language in Belize (2022).svg | image6 = Garifuna language in Belize (2022).svg | footer = Percentage of people in each district of Belize who reported being able to speak each language in the 2022 census. From left to right: English, Spanish, Creole, Mayan languages, German/Plautdietsch and Garifuna.<ref name="census">{{Cite web|url=https://sib.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/Census2022_GeneralCharacteristics.xlsx|title=2022 Population and Housing Census|publisher=Statistical Institute of Belize}}</ref>

{{Collapsible list|title=Legend| {{Legend|#c2fcc2|0–5%}} {{Legend|#aef5ae|5–10%}} {{Legend|#99ee99|10–15%}} {{Legend|#85e785|15–20%}} {{Legend|#70e070|20–25%}} {{Legend|#5cd95c|25–30%}} {{Legend|#47d247|30–35%}} {{Legend|#33cc33|35–40%}} {{Legend|#2eb82e|40–45%}} {{Legend|#29a329|45–50%}} {{Legend|#248f24|50–55%}} {{Legend|#1f7a1f|55–60%}} {{Legend|#1a661a|60–65%}} {{Legend|#155215|65–70%}} {{Legend|#103d10|70–75%}} {{Legend|#0c330c|75–80%}} {{Legend|#092809|80–85%}} {{Legend|#061e06|85–90%}}}} | direction = horizontal }}

English is the major language in the primary and most populated Belize District, the capital district of Cayo, and southernmost district of Toledo. Spanish is the most used language in the frontier districts of Orange Walk and Corozal. Creole is the main language in the Stann Creek district.

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- |+ style="padding-bottom:1em;" | Languages spoken by District (2022)<ref name=":0">{{Cite report |url=https://sib.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/Languages_Infographic_2022.pdf|title=Languages spoken in Belize according to the 2022 Census|last=Statistical Institute of Belize |date=2022|language=en |access-date=2025-08-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite report |url=https://sib.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/CensusLaunch2022.pdf|title=Census Key Findings Launch|last=Statistical Institute of Belize |date=2024|language=en |access-date=2025-08-18}}</ref> |- class="hintergrundfarbe5" ! District ! Population ! English ! Spanish ! Creole ! Q'eqchi' Mayan |- | Belize District || 113,630|| '''85.8%''' || 32.2% || 72.9% || 0.6% |- | Cayo || 99,105|| '''79.8%''' || 69.7% || 42.6% || 2.4% |- | Orange Walk || 54,152|| 71.9% || '''83.6%''' || 17.1% || 0.2% |- | Stann Creek || 48,162|| 64.3% || 36.5% || '''71.8%''' || 8.2% |- | Corozal || 45,310 || 67.5% || '''82.5%''' || 19.1% || 0.1% |- | Toledo || 37,124|| '''61.3%''' || 24.3% || 46.0% || 49.3% |- | '''Total''' || 397,483|| '''75.5%''' || '''54.0%''' || '''49.0%''' || '''6.3%''' |}

==Standard English and Belizean Creole== [[File:Creole Notice and Roadsign - Caye Caulker, Belize.jpg|thumb|Sign in Kriol in Caye Caulker.]] English is the official language of Belize, a former British colony. It is the primary language of public education, government and most media outlets. According to the 2008 Official Education policy in Belize, children are to be taught when it is appropriate to use Creole, but lessons are not to be taught in Creole language.<ref name=":1" />

When a Creole language exists alongside its lexifier language, as in Belize, a creole continuum forms between the Creole and the lexifier language. This is known as code-switching.

In 2007 an English–Kriol dictionary was published by the Belize Kriol Project; the dictionary includes translations and grammatical descriptions.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Salmon|first=William|date=2015-06-17|title=Language Ideology, Gender, and Varieties of Belizean Kriol|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0021934715590407|journal=Journal of Black Studies|volume=46|issue=6|pages=605–625|doi=10.1177/0021934715590407|issn=0021-9347|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==Spanish== {{Main|Belizean Spanish}} Approximately 52.9% of Belizeans self-identify as ''Mestizo'', ''Latino'' or ''Hispanic''. Spanish is spoken as a native tongue by about 56.6% of the population,<ref>{{Citation |title=Belize |date=2025-07-23 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belize/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250729183236/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belize/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 29, 2025 |access-date=2025-07-30 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref> and taught in schools to children who do not have it as their first language. "Kitchen Spanish" is an intermediate form of Spanish mixed with Belizean Creole, and is spoken in northern towns such as Corozal and San Pedro.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Northern Belize Caste War History; Location |url=http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/holidays.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961120201952/http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/holidays.html |archive-date=20 November 1996 |access-date=21 February 2013 |website=ambergriscaye.com |language=en}}</ref>

Over half the population is bilingual, and a large segment is multilingual. Being such a small and multiethnic state surrounded by Spanish-speaking nations, multilingualism is strongly encouraged in the society.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Belize 2010 National Census Overview |url=http://www.belize.com/belize-2010-census.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120529210225/http://www.belize.com/belize-2010-census.html |archive-date=2012-05-29 |website=Belize.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="belize2000">{{Cite web |title=2010 Census of Belize Detailed Demographics of 2000 and 2010 |url=http://www.belize.com/belize-demographics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601035654/http://www.belize.com/belize-demographics |archive-date=2017-06-01 |website=Belize.com}}</ref>

==Other languages== Belize is also home to three Mayan languages: Q’eqchi’, the endangered indigenous Belizean language of Mopan, and Yucatec Maya.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Q’eqchi’ |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/kek |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309200749/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/kek |archive-date=9 March 2013 |access-date=14 April 2018 |website=Ethnologue |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Maya, Mopán |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/mop |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424125016/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/mop |archive-date=24 April 2013 |access-date=14 April 2018 |website=Ethnologue |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Maya, Yucatec |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/yua |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514173812/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/yua |archive-date=14 May 2020 |access-date=14 April 2018 |website=Ethnologue |language=en}}</ref>

Approximately 16,100 people speak the Arawakan-based Garifuna language.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Garifuna |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/cab |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309225202/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/cab |archive-date=9 March 2013 |access-date=14 April 2018 |website=Ethnologue |language=en}}</ref>

German is spoken in Mennonite colonies and villages. The vast majority of Mennonites in Belize speaks Plautdietsch in everyday life while a minority of some 10 percent speaks Pennsylvania German. Both groups use the German Bible translation of Martin Luther and an old fashioned Standard German in church and in reading and writing. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Plautdietsch |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/pdt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307061020/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/pdt |archive-date=7 March 2013 |access-date=14 April 2018 |website=Ethnologue |language=en}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{Languages of Belize}} {{Belize topics}} {{North America in topic|Languages of}} {{English official language clickable map}} {{authority control}}

Category:Languages of Belize