Released on October 29, 2026, the latest monthly economic survey from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) reveals that national consumer sentiment has sunk to its most downbeat level in nearly two and a half years, marking a notable reversal of modest confidence gains recorded through the summer months. The official Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for September dropped 9.6% month-over-month to hit 38.4, down from August’s reading of 42.4, representing the lowest benchmark recorded since April 2024. Designed to track three core dimensions of public economic sentiment, the CCI evaluates public perceptions of current macroeconomic conditions, projected 12-month household financial stability, and the perceived appropriateness of timing for large-scale household purchases. Every tracked component of the index posted a decline in September, with attitudes toward durable goods purchases – covering big-ticket items such as home furniture, major household appliances, and private vehicles – registering the steepest contraction at 13.4%, landing at a reading of just 31.0. Assessments of present-day economic conditions and existing household financial health fell by 11% across the board, while forward-looking expectations for the coming 12 months saw a more moderate 5.8% pullback. Disparities across demographic and geographic subgroups are particularly stark in the latest dataset. Rural communities saw a far sharper erosion of confidence than urban populations, with a 13.9% month-over-month drop compared to a relatively mild 3.8% dip among city-dwelling consumers. The gender gap in sentiment is even more pronounced: women’s overall consumer confidence plummeted 14.2% in September, a rate more than four times the 3.2% decline recorded among male respondents. At the district level, Stann Creek posted the most dramatic downturn, with local consumer confidence collapsing 24% to a reading of 33.8, making it the most pessimistic region nationwide. Orange Walk stood as the only outlier across all administrative districts, notching a 13.9% uptick in confidence to reach 37.8, though the score still remains firmly in pessimistic territory well below the neutral 50-point threshold. Age-based breakdowns show that respondents in the 45 to 54 age bracket faced the sharpest drop in sentiment, with their confidence index tumbling 20.7% to 36.3. By contrast, consumers aged 55 and older were the only age group to register improved sentiment, with their index climbing 14.0% to 38.7. Across ethnic demographic groups, Garifuna survey participants recorded the largest decline in confidence, falling 15.4% to a reading of 38.5.