What are the largest ethnic groups in Belize?

Belize is a culturally diverse nation with a population composed of several distinct ethnic groups. The largest groups include:

• Mestizos: People of mixed Mayan and Spanish ancestry, who constitute approximately one-half of the total population and are primarily found in the interior of the country.12
• Creole: English-speaking people of largely African and British descent, who account for more than one-fourth of the population and predominate in the central coastal regions.1
• Maya: Indigenous groups, including the Yucatec, Mopán, and Kekchí Maya, who represent nearly one-tenth of the population and are largely concentrated in the north and south.1

Additionally, the country is home to the Garifuna people, who live in communities along the south coast, as well as smaller populations of Mennonite farmers, people of European and South Asian ancestry, and immigrants from various other regions. Migration patterns, particularly since the 1970s, have significantly shifted the country's ethnic composition.123