The Dynamic Value Of The Belize Dollar

The Belize dollar (BZD) is the official currency of Belize. The exchange rate is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of BZ$2 to US$1, although in practice, the BZ dollar is accepted at a slight fluctuation, usually around $2.0175 BZ for one US dollar. As of July 2024, the mid-market exchange rate for 1 BZD was approximately 0.49642432-0.5000 USD. This means that 1 US dollar is worth about 2 Belize dollars. Visitors to Belize with US dollars do not need to worry about changing their money into local BZ dollars, as many businesses accept US dollars.

Belize Dollar to US Dollar conversion rate

The Belize dollar (BZD) is the official currency of Belize. As of June 29, 2024, 1 US Dollar was equivalent to 2.0000 Belize Dollars. This means that the US Dollar is currently stronger than the Belize Dollar.

On June 30, 2024, 1 American Dollar was equal to 2.0168 Belize Dollars. This rate has increased slightly over the last year, with the rate for USD to BZD being 0.0008 higher than it was in June 2023.

As of July 23, 2024, 1 Belize Dollar was equivalent to 0.494087 US Dollars or 0.49642432 US Dollars, according to different sources. This means that the Belize Dollar is worth less than half of a US Dollar.

The mid-market rate is used by some currency converters for informational purposes. However, this rate may differ from the rate received when sending money.

Belize Dollar exchange rate history

The Belize dollar (BZD) is the official currency of Belize. The BZD exchange rate is hard-pegged to the US dollar (USD) at a fixed rate of BZ$2 to US$1. However, in practice, the BZ dollar is accepted at a slight fluctuation, usually around $2.0175 BZ for one US dollar.

On 2 May 2023, the Belize Central Bank instructed banks and financial institutions to accept US cash currency at the official rate of 2 Belize dollars for 1 US dollar. Previously, these institutions had been offering a slightly lower exchange rate, claiming the difference as processing expenses and part of their non-interest income service. This change was made to encourage businesses in Belize to accept US currency, as they were previously losing money in the conversion rate when depositing US cash.

The mid-market exchange rate for BZD to USD as of 23 July 2024, was 1 BZD = 0.494087 USD or 0.49642432 USD, according to different sources. The highest point in the previous 30 and 90 days was 0.5000 USD, and the average exchange rate over the same period was 0.5000 USD.

Belize currency and security features

The Belize dollar is the official currency of Belize. It is abbreviated as BZD or BZ$ and is divided into 100 cents. Bank notes come in $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 denominations. The front of the notes features local wildlife or prominent buildings in the country, while the reverse features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain, as Belize is a member of the Commonwealth.

Belizean currency is printed at the British firm of Thomas De La Rue Ltd. and includes several security features to protect against counterfeiting. These include:

• Watermarks: The $100 and $50 bills feature a jaguar watermark, while the $20, $10, $5, and $2 bills feature the "Sleeping Giant" sculpture by George Gabb. The watermark also includes the value of the bill, spelled out in capital letters.
• Windowed security thread: A thin metal security thread is embedded in the paper during production, with the word "BELIZE" printed on it, alternating in sequence.
• See-through feature: Each denomination has a different image that can be seen by holding the bill up to the light. For example, the $20 bill features the head of a tapir, while the $10 bill features a clock steeple.
• Intaglio: A printing process that gives the image a raised feel due to the use of an engraved printing plate and thicker ink.
• Intaglio over-foil feature: The $100 bill features a toucan hologram with an added intaglio overprint of a periwinkle flower, while the $50 bill features a foil angel fish with an intaglio overprint of the Kinich Ahua jade head.
• Multi-redundant Hologram: The $100 bill features a toucan hologram.
• Novel numbering: The serial numbers printed on the top right corner of the bill have digits that gradually increase in size, and the same number is printed in a vertical column on the left side.
• Actual Size: The $100 and $50 bills measure 150mm x 75mm, while the $20 and $10 bills measure 140mm x 70mm.

Belize currency history

The Belize dollar (BZD) is the official currency of Belize. It is divided into 100 cents and is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or BZ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies.

In 1825, an imperial order-in-council was passed to introduce British sterling coinage into all British colonies. This included British Honduras (now Belize), where the British shilling was referred to as a 'Maccaroni'. However, in the middle of the 19th century, an international silver crisis led to the silver peso of neighbouring Guatemala driving the British currency out of circulation in British Honduras.

In 1885, 1-cent coins were introduced, followed by higher denominations in 1894. This year also saw the first issue of banknotes by the government and a switch from the silver Guatemalan peso to the gold US dollar as the base for the currency, with $4.866 = £1. The rate of $4.866 compared to $4.80 is due to the US dollar being based on the average weight of a selection of worn Spanish dollars when it was created in 1792.

In 1931, when the UK abandoned the gold standard, the British Honduras dollar maintained its attachment to the US dollar. During World War II, British Honduras joined the sterling area, despite maintaining its fixed exchange rate with the US dollar.

In 1949, the British pound was devalued from US$4.03 to US$2.80. As the British Honduras dollar was pegged to the US dollar, this caused a sudden increase in the value of the British Honduran dollar relative to the pound. This led to protests and a devaluation of the British Honduran dollar to 70 US cents (equal to 5 shillings sterling).

In 1967, following Harold Wilson's devaluation of sterling, the British Honduran dollar again devalued in sympathy with the pound to 60 US cents. In 1978, the link to the pound was abandoned, and the Belize unit was once again pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of BZ$2 = US$1. This rate still continues today, reflecting a devaluation of 50% in relation to the original parity with the US dollar in 1885, which last applied in 1949.

How much is 50 Dollars in Belize Dollars?

The Belize dollar is the official currency of Belize, and it is hard-pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of BZ$2 to US$1. This means that 50 Belize dollars are worth 25 US dollars.

The mid-market exchange rate for Belizean currency fluctuates, and as of July 23, 2024, 1 BZD was worth 0.496332-0.49642432 USD. This means that 50 BZD would be worth between 24.8166-24.8212 USD.

It is important to note that the mid-market rate is for informational purposes only and may not be the rate you receive when sending money. Additionally, while many businesses in Belize accept US dollars, some sources advise against changing money into local BZ dollars, as they are generally worthless outside of Belize.

Frequently asked questions