Belize’s consumer sentiment has stayed mired in pessimistic territory for 13 consecutive months, according to the latest data from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB), with men and residents of the country’s northern districts reporting the sharpest drops in financial confidence this August.
The SIB’s Consumer Confidence Index (CCI), a key metric measuring household attitudes toward personal finances and economic conditions, edged down marginally from 42.6 in July to 42.4 in August. Any reading below 50 on the index signals overall consumer pessimism, a trend that typically correlates with reduced discretionary spending and increased household savings.
Breaking down the latest results, Belizean consumers rated their current financial situation slightly worse than they did in July, and their outlook for economic conditions over the coming 12 months also softened. Even so, the 12-month outlook measure sits at 51.6, the only component of the index that remains above the 50 pessimism threshold.
Regional variations in confidence reveal a stark divide across the country. The northern districts of Corozal and Orange Walk recorded the most dramatic declines: Corozal’s CCI plummeted from 42.6 to 35.9, while Orange Walk fell from 40.6 to 33.1 — the lowest confidence reading of any district in Belize.
SIB statistician Juan Blanco noted that the notable declines in these two northern districts point to widespread growing pessimism among their resident populations.
In contrast, the southern district of Stann Creek bucked the national downward trend, with its CCI climbing from 38.4 to 44.5, marking the largest confidence improvement across the entire country. Blanco explained that residents of Stann Creek have become noticeably less pessimistic about both current national economic conditions and their own personal household finances.
The most surprising divide in the data falls along gender lines: male and female consumer confidence moved in completely opposite directions this August. Confidence among male consumers dropped by 7.5%, with every measured component of the CCI declining for this group. Blanco confirmed that male consumers in Belize now report higher overall levels of pessimism about their financial prospects. Meanwhile, confidence among female consumers rose by 5.5% over the same period.
Beyond gender and regional divides, the data also breaks down confidence by age and ethnicity. Confidence levels fell most sharply among Belizeans aged 55 and older, while among ethnic groups, respondents identifying as Maya recorded the steepest drop in consumer confidence.
Alongside the confidence figures, the SIB also released updated inflation data showing that average household prices have risen by 2.9% across Belize since the start of 2026. With the latest August reading pushing the national CCI down further, the index has now failed to break above the 50 confidence threshold for 13 straight months, marking more than a full year of sustained consumer pessimism across the country.