Belize is a very small country, about the size of New Jersey, and it is sometimes in the news because of a relatively high crime rate or murder rate. A lot of this is because we have Belize City which has a population size of around 50, people.
There is organized crime only in Belize City. The population size outside of there is ,, unfortunately, the crime in Belize City skews the statistics and there is not enough population in the rest of the country to absorb the crime rate. So unfortunately, the whole country of Belize suffers because of the high crime rate in Belize City.
However, Belize City is not a place that we recommend for most expats to live. That would be considered a place for an experienced seasoned expat who knows which parts of the city to go, which parts to avoid. If you took out Belize City from Belize, the crime would just be right in the middle, the same as anywhere else.
So is it safe to live in Belize? You will find the vast majority of expats, especially those that live in Placencia which is considered a small town, will say they feel very safe. In Ambergris Caye, because it is a little bit closer to Belize City, they will have a little bit more crime there.
For the most part, it happens late at night. It happens when people are trying to buy drugs. It happens when people are very drunk and not following common sense. Petty theft is high throughout the country. That is something to be aware of.
