Population census of Belize’s 350,000 residents

Glenn Avilez

In the year 2000 Belize’s population stood at roughly two hundred and forty-nine thousand.  Ten years later, it is estimated that the number of people living in Belize is around three hundred and fifty thousand. The Statistical Institute of Belize will conduct a census starting May twelfth and its employees will be gathering relevant information on where we live and our ethnic background. It is projected that trend over the last few decades has not changed significantly and the new census is expected to show increases and decreases in the same ethnic groups. Director General of the Statistical Institute, Glenn Avilez, says the census is still expected to show some interesting revelations.

Glenn Avilez, Dir. Gen., Statistical Institute of Belize

“The experience of the last census that there was an increase in the Mestizo population.  Obviously, that is the result of the migrants that have come into our country from the neighbouring countries.  So it is expected that that population in relative terms, will increase relative to the other populations. We don’t have persons of black or African descent migrating to Belize in the numbers that we have persons of Mestizo descent. So it is likely that there will be a further erosion of the share that the black population has in Belize.”

Marion Ali

“What are the changes that you expect will happen this time around?”

Glenn Avilez

“It’s difficult to say, other than we will have increases in all the ethnic groups.  In fact, I’m thinking that there will be a lot more mixtures of ethnicities than we had in 2000.  I guess that is what distinguishes us in this country, where all the ethnic groups that we have, Garifuna, Mestizo Maya, Creole…”

Marion Ali

“The Mestizos are already mixed.”

Glenn Avilez

“Already mixed, and so you’ll have that cross mixture of these different ethnicities, something that I guess comes with time; change.”

Avilez appeals to the public to cooperate with his staff as of May twelfth when they visit your home for information.  Questions coming from them will range from health to religion to the level of education acquired.  The details will be published in an aggregate rather than an individual form.