| Population: | 272,945 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 40.6% (male 56,530; female 54,322)
15-64 years: 55.8% (male 77,118; female 75,309)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,674; female 4,992) (2004 est.)
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| Population growth rate: | 2.39% (2004 est.)
|
| Birth rate: | 29.89 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
|
| Death rate: | 6.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
|
| Infant mortality rate: |
total: 26.37 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 29.75 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
|
| Life expectancy at birth:: |
total population: 67.43 years
male: 65.11 years
female: 69.86 years (2004 est.)
|
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
2.4% (2003 est.)
|
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:: |
3,600 (2003 est.)
|
| Ethnic groups: |
Mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7%
|
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Anglican 5.3%, Methodist 3.5%, Mennonite 4.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Pentecostal 7.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), none 9.4%, other 14% (2000)
|
| Languages: |
English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
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| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1%
male: 94.1%
female: 94.1% (2003 est.)
|
| Economy - overview: |
In this small, essentially private enterprise economy the tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by cane sugar, citrus, marine products, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth of 6.5% in 1999, 10.8% in 2000, 4.6% in 2001, and 3.7% in 2002. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors.
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| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $1.28 billion (2002 est.)
|
| GDP - real growth rate: |
3.7% (2002 est.)
|
| GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2002 est.)
|
| GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 22.7%
industry: 24.5%
services: 52.8% (2003 est.)
|
| Investment (gross fixed): |
33% of GDP (2003)
|
| Population below poverty line: |
33% (1999 est.)
|
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
2.6% (2003 est.)
|
| Labor force: |
90,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.)
|
| Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.)
|
| Unemployment rate: |
9.1% (2002)
|
| Agriculture - products: |
bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments
|
| Industries: |
garment production, food processing, tourism, construction
|
| Industrial production growth rate:: |
4.6% (1999)
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| Exports - commodities: |
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
|
| Exports - partners: |
US 39.3%, UK 25.1%, France 4% (2003 est.)
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| Imports: |
$500.6 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
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| Imports - commodities: |
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
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| Imports - partners: |
US 39%, Mexico 11.6%, Netherlands Antilles 6.2%, UK 5.5%, Cuba 5.2% (2003 est.)
|
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