Languages Of Belize - Wikipedia

Languages of Belize
Sign in English at Xunantunich, with the Mayan name translated into English
Official	English
Indigenous	Q'eqchi', Mopan, Yucatec Maya
Vernacular	Belizean English, Belizean Spanish, Belizean Creole
Foreign	Spanish, German, Garifuna, Plautdietsch
Signed	American Sign Language

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. Bilingualism is very common. The percentage of literacy in Belize as of 2021 is 82.68% for those aged 15 or older.[1]

Languages spoken in Belize (2022)[2]

Language	speakers	percentage
English	278,390	75.5%
Spanish	199,393	54.0%
Belizean Creole	180,792	49.0%
Q'eqchi' Maya	23,315	6.3%
Mopan Maya	14,479	3.9%
German*	11,294	3.1%
Garifuna	7,481	2.0%
Yucatec Maya	1,822	0.5%
Chinese**	1,420	0.4%
Other languages	3,017	0.8%

*German includes Plautdietsch and Standard German **Chinese includes Cantonese and Mandarin

Major languages by district

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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.

Languages spoken by District (2022)[2][3]

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

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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.[4]

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.[4]

Spanish

[edit] Main article: 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,[5] 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.[6]

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.[7][8]

Other languages

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Belize is also home to three Mayan languages: Q’eqchi’, the endangered indigenous Belizean language of Mopan, and Yucatec Maya.[9][10][11]

Approximately 16,100 people speak the Arawakan-based Garifuna language.[12]

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. [13]

See also

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• Kriol people
• Demographics of Belize
• Ethnic Chinese in Belize
• Maya peoples

References

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1. ^ "Belize Population". Countrymeters. Archived from the original on 2021-08-20. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
2. ^ a b Statistical Institute of Belize (2022). Languages spoken in Belize according to the 2022 Census (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 2025-08-18.
3. ^ Statistical Institute of Belize (2024). Census Key Findings Launch (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 2025-08-18.
4. ^ a b Salmon, William (2015-06-17). "Language Ideology, Gender, and Varieties of Belizean Kriol". Journal of Black Studies. 46 (6): 605–625. doi:10.1177/0021934715590407. ISSN 0021-9347.
5. ^ "Belize", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 2025-07-23, retrieved 2025-07-30
6. ^ "Northern Belize Caste War History; Location". ambergriscaye.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 1996. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
7. ^ "Belize 2010 National Census Overview". Belize.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-29.
8. ^ "2010 Census of Belize Detailed Demographics of 2000 and 2010". Belize.com. Archived from the original on 2017-06-01.
9. ^ "Q'eqchi'". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
10. ^ "Maya, Mopán". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
11. ^ "Maya, Yucatec". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 14 May 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
12. ^ "Garifuna". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
13. ^ "Plautdietsch". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2018.

v t e Languages of Belize
Official language	English
Indigenous languages	Mopan Q'eqchi' Yucatec Maya
Non-official languages	Kriol Spanish Garifuna Plautdietsch ASL

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