New data from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) confirms that Belizean consumer confidence extended its steady downward trajectory through April 2026, marking another month of growing pessimism about short- and long-term economic outlooks across most of the country. The national Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) fell 3.7 percentage points from 45.7 in March to 44.0 in April, a decline that SIB analysts trace to fading optimism about both 12-month macroeconomic conditions and individual household financial stability.
Breaking down the CCI into its core subcomponents reveals stark differences in how consumers assess current versus future economic conditions. The Expectations sub-index, which captures consumer outlooks for the coming year, suffered the sharpest decline, plummeting 7.7 points from 54.6 in March to 50.4 in April. Meanwhile, the Present Conditions sub-index, which measures how consumers rate current economic and household finances compared to 12 months prior, fell a more moderate 5 points, dropping from 43.2 to 41.0 over the same period.
Against this overall gloomy trend, the survey recorded one small bright spot: attitudes toward large household purchases improved marginally. The Durable Goods sub-index, which tracks willingness to commit to big-ticket buys like home appliances, furniture and motor vehicles, rose 3.3 points from 39.3 in March to 40.6 in April, suggesting consumers are slightly less hesitant to make major spending commitments than they were last month.
Geographically, the decline in confidence was far from uniform across Belize’s districts. Stann Creek recorded the most dramatic drop, with its CCI plummeting 14.1 points from a relatively optimistic 51.9 in March to 44.6 in April. SIB analysts attribute this steep decline to sharply worsening views of current local economic conditions and fading hope for improvements in personal finances over the coming year.
In a notable exception to the national trend, Belize District was the only region to post an increase in consumer confidence last month. Sentiment there rose 4.4 points, climbing from 44.5 in March to 46.5 in April, with all three subcomponents of the index recording improvements to drive the overall gain.
Demographic breakdowns of the survey data also reveal significant gaps in sentiment across gender, age and ethnic groups. Male consumer confidence fell 4.6 percent in April, more than double the 2.1 percent decline recorded among female respondents. Among age cohorts, consumers aged 25 to 34 saw the largest drop in confidence, with their index falling 10.5 percent month-over-month. Conversely, consumers aged 55 and older reported a notable improvement in sentiment, with their confidence index rising 7.6 percent.
By ethnic identification, people who identify as Mestizo or Hispanic recorded the steepest decline in confidence, with their index falling 11.8 percent in April. At the same time, consumers of Mayan descent posted the largest improvement in sentiment, with their confidence rising 5.1 percent over the March reading.