Languages of Belize
| Languages of Belize | |
|---|---|
 Sign in English at Xunantunich, with the Mayan name translated into English | |
| Official | English |
| Indigenous | Q'eqchi', Mopan, Yucatec Maya |
| Vernacular | Belizean English, Belizean Spanish, Belizean Creole |
| Minority | German, Garifuna, Plautdietsch |
| Foreign | Spanish |
| Signed | American Sign Language |
The major languages spoken in Belize include English, Spanish and Kriol, all three spoken by more than 40% of the population. Mayan languages are also spoken in certain areas.
English is the official language and the primary language of public education, though spoken natively by a minority of people as a first language. Spanish is taught in primary and secondary schools as well. Multilingualism is very common, with a majority of the population speaking both English and Spanish, and just under half also knowing Kriol. The percentage of literacy in Belize as of 2021 is 82.68% for those aged 15 or older.
| Language | speakers | percentage |
|---|---|---|
| English | 278,390 | 75.5% |
| Spanish | 199,393 | 54.0% |
| Belizean Creole | 180,792 | 49.0% |
| Q'eqchi' Maya | 23,315 | 6.3% |
| Mopan Maya | 14,479 | 3.9% |
| German* | 11,294 | 3.1% |
| Garifuna | 7,481 | 2.0% |
| Yucatec Maya | 1,822 | 0.5% |
| Chinese** | 1,420 | 0.4% |
| Other languages | 3,017 | 0.8% |
*German includes Plautdietsch and Standard German
**Chinese includes Cantonese and Mandarin