Belizean languages
The official language of Belize is English. Spanish is spoken by 56.6% of the population and English by 62.9%.
The various Mayan groups that inhabit Belize still speak the original languages of Maya, the most widely spoken indigenous language in the country is the Kekchi Mayan language, followed by Mopan Maya and then Yucatec Maya which is widely spoken in Mexico and on a smaller scale in Guatemala. The country's Creole language, Creole English (similar to the Creole dialects of the English-speaking Caribbean islands) is the mother tongue of 32.9% of the population.
Demographics
English is the primary language of public education, along with Spanish which is taught in primary schools and also in secondary schools. For this reason, sometimes a good part of Belizeans assert that Belize is a bilingual state (English and Spanish).
| Linguistic competition in English and Spanish | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Speak "very good." | Speak "something." | Total | |
| English | 54% | 26% | 80% | |
| Spanish | 52% | 11% | 63% | |
2010 Census
| Language | Speakers | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| English | 183.903 | 62.9% |
| Spanish | 165.296 | 56.6% |
| Criollo beliceño | 130.467 | 44.6% |
| Quekchí | 17.581 | 6.0% |
| Mopán | 10.649 | 3.6% |
| German | 9.364 | 3.2% |
| Garifuna | 8.442 | 2.9% |
| More languages | 7.847 | 2.7% |
| No response | 1.537 | 0.5% |
| Total | 292.263 | 100% |
2000 Census
| Speakers as mother tongue | Percentage | Speakers as first language | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | 94.422 | 46,0% | 88.121 | 43.0% |
| Criollo beliceño | 67.527 | 32.9 per cent | 75.822 | 37,0% |
| Maya quekchi | 10.142 | 4.9% | 9.314 | 4.5% |
| English | 7.946 | 3.9 per cent | 11.551 | 5.6 per cent |
| Maya Mopan | 6.909 | 3.4% | 6.093 | 3.0% |
| Garifuna | 6.929 | 3.4% | 4.071 | 2.0% |
| Plautdietsch | 6.783 | 3.3% | 6.624 | 3.2 per cent |
| Chinese | 1.607 | 0.8% | 1.529 | 0.7 per cent |
| Maya Yucateco | 1.176 | 0.6% | 613 | 0.3% |
| Hindi | 280 | 0.1 per cent | 193 | 0.1 per cent |
| Other / no response | 1.402 | 0.7 per cent | 1.192 | 0.6% |
Spanish
| Census | Amount | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 80 886 | 43.8% |
| 2000 | 106 795 | 52.1 per cent |
| 2010 | 165 296 | 56.6% |
Spanish speakers in Belize
Main languages by district
According to the 2010 census, English is the official language of Belize and the most widely spoken in the Belize District, which is also the most populous. Spanish is the most widely used language in the border districts of Cayo, Orange Walk, and Corozal. Belizean Creole is the primary language in the Stann Creek District, dominating the Mayan languages in the southern Toledo District.
| District | Population | English | Spanish | Criollo | Maya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belize | 95,292 | 72.5% | 34.1% | 63.6% | 1.2% |
| Cayo | 75.046 | 66.7% | 71.5% | 39.9% | 6.2% |
| Orange | 45,946 | 62.2% | 85.6% | 16.8% | 2.3% |
| Corozal | 41,061 | 54.4% | 84.7% | 18.9% | 2.5% |
| Stann Creek | 34,324 | 52.0% | 39.3% | 67.4% | 16.3% |
| Toledo | 30.785 | 47.9% | 28.2% | 47.2% | 68.4% |
| Total | 324,528 | 62.9% | 56.6% | 44.6% | 10.5% |
Belize in Latin America
Belize, traditionally a country isolated from the rest of Latin America, has recently sought a rapprochement with its neighbors, requesting admission to the Organization of Ibero-American States and the Ibero-American Summits. However, due to the non-recognition of Spanish as an official language by Belize, the integration has not yet taken place.