BELIZE · INFLATION
Key Facts
- Inflation Belize’s yearly inflation rate was 4.7% in September 2026, up from 4.4% in August.
- Price index The consumer price index, a measure of shop prices, stood at 126.2, against 120.5 a year earlier.
- Drivers Transport, housing and utility costs, and food had the biggest increases.
- Currency The Belize dollar is fixed at two per US dollar, so the exchange rate is not the cause.
Belize inflation rose to 4.7% in September 2026, the Statistical Institute of Belize, the national statistics office, said on Wednesday 28 October. The reading is up from 4.4% in August and 4.1% in July.
Belize is a small Caribbean-coast country popular with US tourists, retirees and remote workers. For US readers, higher prices mean a pricier trip or retirement, though the Belize dollar is fixed at two per US dollar.
What Belize Inflation Looks Like
The consumer price index, which tracks the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services, stood at 126.2 in September 2026. It was 120.5 in September 2025, which gives the 4.7% yearly rise.
Over the first nine months of 2026, prices rose 3.1% compared with the same period of 2025. The statistics office named transport; housing, water, electricity and fuels; and food as the categories with the biggest increases.
Yearly inflation was 4.1% in July and 4.4% in August, so the pace has risen for two months in a row. September is the highest of those three readings.
Imports and Consumer Confidence
The same release shows imports fell 3.8% in September to BZ$241.8 million (about US$120.9 million at BZ$2 per US$1). Belize buys much of its fuel and many goods from abroad, so import prices feed into shop prices.
A separate index of consumer confidence fell 9.6% to 38.4 in September, the statistics office said. That is its lowest level since April 2024, and all three national components of the index declined.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
The Statistical Institute of Belize is the government body that measures prices, trade and population. Its monthly price release is the official source for the inflation rate.
The consumer price index tracks what a typical household pays for a set shopping basket over time. Inflation is the percentage change in that index compared with the same month a year earlier.
What It Means for You
If you visit or live in Belize, expect transport, groceries and utility bills to cost more than a year ago. Our cost of living guide for Belize shows what daily life costs.
Because the Belize dollar is tied to the US dollar, your money buys the same number of Belize dollars as before. The extra cost therefore comes from higher local prices, not from the exchange rate.
For the wider picture, see our report on Belize’s second-quarter growth and August inflation. It sets out how the economy was growing before this price rise.
What Is Not Known
The headline release does not say how long fuel and food prices will stay high. The next monthly reading will show whether prices keep rising.
The national rate can hide gaps between towns, and a visitor’s own costs depend on where they stay. Check current prices before you book.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Belize’s inflation rate?
Belize’s yearly inflation rate was 4.7% in September 2026, according to the Statistical Institute of Belize. It was 4.4% in August.
What pushed Belize prices up?
The statistics office named transport; housing, water, electricity and fuels; and food as the largest increases. Together they make up a large part of a typical household budget.
Does Belize inflation change costs for US visitors?
Prices in shops, taxis and restaurants are higher than a year ago. The Belize dollar is fixed at two per US dollar, so the exchange rate is not the cause.
When were the September figures released?
The Statistical Institute of Belize published them on Wednesday 28 October 2026. The release also covers imports, exports and consumer confidence.
Sources: Statistical Institute of Belize, Consumer Price Index release for September 2026, 28 October 2026; Statistical Institute of Belize, release for August 2026, 30 September 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief