Inflation Is Hitting the Bills People Cannot Cut Back On 

Belizeans can skip a meal at a restaurant. They cannot skip the light bill, the bus fare or the grocery run, and those are the costs rising fastest.

New figures from the Statistical Institute of Belize show household prices rose 2.9% on average between January and August. The increase did not spread evenly. Transport, food, housing and utilities climbed faster than dining out, healthcare and education. 

That leaves families with little room to cut back.

Getting around costs more. SIB Statistician Jaime Crespo said the average price of regular fuel rose 11.3% and premium 7.2%. “For diesel it went up by 17.8%,” Crespo said.

Diesel cost just over $13 a gallon in August and has since gone higher. Public transport and flights also cost more.

Electricity rose 7.7%, which Crespo tied to a higher kilowatt-hour price introduced at the start of the year and new COPA tariffs. Rent rose 1.4% and butane 4.1%.

Putting food on the table costs more. Food and non-alcoholic drinks climbed 2.2%, driven by meat, sugar, cereal products, instant coffee and natural juice.

Prime Minister John Briceño recognised the strain in his State of the Nation address on 15 September, stating, “We hear the cries of the Belizean people. We understand what you are going through.” 

“While Belize has achieved self-sufficiency in basic food items , that is, we can feed ourselves, our wider economy is a net importer, and those prices are outside of our control,” Briceño added. 

And while Belize produces its own sugar and meat, both cost more this year.