Updated
Overview
Mexico has 312 times the population of Belize: 131.95 million people against 422,924 (2025).
Mexico's economy is 551 times the size of Belize's, at $1.83T versus $3.33B.
Per person, Mexico is the wealthier of the two: $13,889 against $7,865 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Mexico | Belize | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $1.83T | $3.33B | 2025 | $1.85T / $3.52B |
| GDP per capita | Higher: $13,889 | $7,865 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 0.6% | Higher: 2.7% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | 3.8% | Lower: 1.1% | 2025 | 4.7% / 3.3% |
| Unemployment | Lower: 2.7% | 8.9% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 54 | 53 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | Higher: $551 | $510 | 2025 / 2020 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $353 | Higher: $520 | 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | $6.27 | — | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 131.95 million | 422,924 | 2025 | 130.74 million / 421,960 |
| Population growth | 0.8% | 1.4% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 29.6 yrs | 26.9 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.87 | 2.01 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 75.3 yrs | 73.7 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 80% | 42% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | Higher: 83% | 80% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 1,964,375 km² | 22,966 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 67.2/km² | 18.4/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | 461 Mt | Lower: 0.80 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | 3.5 t | Lower: 1.9 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $16.73B | $30.14M | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 0.9% | 0.9% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 341,000 | 2,000 | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Belize is growing faster: 2.7% annual GDP growth versus 0.6%.
Mexico runs the hotter price environment: 3.8% inflation versus 1.1%.
Average monthly earnings favour Mexico: $551 against $510 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Belize is the younger society: median age 26.9 versus 29.6 years.
Life expectancy is 1.5 years longer in Mexico (75.3 vs 73.7).
Mexico is considerably more urbanized: 80% of people live in cities, against 42%.
Geography
By land area, Mexico is 86 times the size of Belize: 1,964,375 km² versus 22,966 km².
The two share a land border, which shapes their trade, migration, and security relationship.
Mexico is far more densely settled: 67 people per km² against 18.
Military
Mexico spends 555 times as much on defence as Belize: $16.73B versus $30.14M (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Mexico fields the larger armed forces: 341,000 personnel against 2,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Mexico bigger than Belize?
- Mexico is larger by land area. Mexico covers 1,964,375 km² while Belize covers 22,966 km², so Mexico is 86 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Mexico or Belize?
- Mexico has the larger population: 131.95 million versus 422,924 (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Mexico richer than Belize?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Mexico is richer: $13,889 against $7,865. Total GDP tells the same story: $1.83T for Mexico versus $3.33B for Belize.
- Who spends more on their military, Mexico or Belize?
- Mexico spends more: $16.73B versus $30.14M per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).