Hotel Rates Down; Food and Gas Up

The recent emphasis on discounts for Belizean “stay-cations” may be paying off, but prices for other goods and services are up.  Today, the Statistical Institute of Belize released a number of figures and among them the Consumer Price Index for May 2021.  The C.P.I. found that while Belizeans enjoyed cheaper hotel accommodations that month, the prices for fuel, food, cooking and personal care products were up.  The study shows that Belizeans are spending, on average, ten percent more for transportation, close to a dollar more for pigtail, and up to thirty-one percent more for a single lime.  Santa Elena and San Ignacio recorded the highest increase in prices.

Melvin Perez

Melvin Perez, Statistician II, SIB

“The food sub category alone, with an increase of five point four percent was exclusively responsible for the increase within the category, as higher prices across majority food groups were observed. In particular, fresh vegetables and fruits were the main items contributing to the increase. Higher prices were observed in products such as lime, cabbage, pineapple, onion, as well as other types of products such as natural milk, red kidney beans, pig and pigtail.”

Corozal Town experienced the smallest increases in the Consumer Price Index.  Currently, Belize is ranked fourth in the region, in terms of an increase in prices on goods and services.