Belize has recorded notable gains in poverty reduction in recent years. Data from the Statistical Institute of Belize show that the country’s multidimensional poverty rate fell from 22.1% in 2024 to 19.1% in 2025, which means that more than 13,000 fewer people lived in multidimensional poverty. Even with this progress, some regions of the country continue to experience higher levels of deprivation, and government initiatives and targeted social programs remain essential to sustaining and deepening these gains.

Poverty reduction in Belize is a central goal of #PlanBelize, the country’s Medium-Term Development Strategy for 2022-2026, which the government launched in January 2023. In line with this plan, the government has increasingly turned to data-informed policies and carefully targeted social programs to address poverty, improve living conditions and expand opportunities for vulnerable communities. Policymakers use instruments such as the Multidimensional Poverty Index, the BOOST cash transfer program and investments through the Basic Needs Trust Fund as key tools to support recent improvements.

Using Data To Guide Poverty Reduction

A central feature of poverty reduction in Belize is the use of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which looks beyond income to provide a more complete picture of well-being. The MPI tracks deprivations in areas such as education, employment, health and living standards. This approach reveals where and how people experience exclusion. The Statistical Institute of Belize highlights the MPI as an important tool for designing and monitoring targeted interventions.

Over the past several years, Belize has increasingly woven MPI evidence into policy decisions. According to the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network, the country has gathered MPI data annually since 2021 and uses the results to identify pockets of persistent poverty and guide where officials direct additional support most urgently. Between 2021 and 2024, the proportion of people experiencing multidimensional poverty fell from 36.5% to 22.1%. While multiple factors contributed to this progress, the regular use of MPI data has helped policymakers better target poverty-reduction efforts.

Programs Supporting Vulnerable Communities

At the household level, Belize’s flagship social protection initiative is the BOOST program, a cash transfer initiative for families in vulnerable communities. The program provides income support and encourages continued access to education and health services. In 2025, UNICEF partnered with the Government of Belize to help strengthen the broader social protection system, including updates to BOOST. Policymakers designed these changes to make the program more responsive during emergencies, economic slowdowns and other shocks that can quickly push families deeper into poverty.

In 2026, the government increased BOOST funding from $3 million to $5 million. Human Development Minister Thea Garcia-Ramirez said the larger budget will help the program reach more vulnerable Belizeans, including single-parent households, older adults and people with disabilities. She highlighted how one family can count as several program participants when multiple children receive support, underscoring how many people the expansion will help.

The Basic Needs Trust Fund Eleventh Programme, or BNTF11, also contributes to poverty reduction in Belize. In July 2025, the Caribbean Development Bank approved a $5.19 million grant in support of the initiative. BNTF11 channels resources into education and training, water and sanitation systems, community infrastructure and livelihood development. By focusing on low-income and vulnerable communities, the program aims to improve everyday living conditions and create more sustainable opportunities for economic advancement.

Challenges Remain

Despite overall improvements, poverty remains unevenly distributed across Belize. The 2025 MPI report shows that 27.8% of people living in rural areas experienced multidimensional poverty, compared with 6.5% in urban areas. The Toledo District recorded the highest incidence of multidimensional poverty at 59.5%. These findings give policymakers concrete information as they target poverty reduction efforts in the communities that need them most.

The MPI also highlights specific groups at greater risk. Larger households and those with lower levels of educational achievement face a higher likelihood of experiencing poverty. Households with seven or more members had a multidimensional poverty rate of 45.2%, while households headed by individuals with no completed education recorded a poverty rate of 47.9%. Although these families continue to face higher levels of deprivation, initiatives such as BOOST and BNTF11 aim to widen access to services, income opportunities and essential infrastructure.

Taken together, these trends indicate that poverty reduction in Belize has made real, measurable progress in reducing multidimensional poverty, even as important gaps persist. The use of tools like the Multidimensional Poverty Index gives policymakers a clearer view of who faces the greatest risks and what types of support people require. Programs including BOOST and BNTF11 then translate that information into concrete action in communities across the country. 

Looking Ahead

Going forward, efforts to sustain and expand these gains will likely depend on keeping data at the center of decision-making while continuing to invest in people and places that current growth patterns leave behind—particularly rural areas, larger households and those with limited access to education. Continued commitment to targeted, evidence-based policies offers a path to ensure that the benefits of Belize’s development reach families who are still living with higher rates of poverty and deprivation.

– Lily Hoch

Lily is based in Midway, PA, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

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