Once part of Spain’s vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist guerrillas. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion in damage. Since then, the economy has slowly rebounded, despite COVID and severe storm-related setbacks in 2020 and 2021.
land: 111,890 sq km
water: 200 sq km
border countries (3): Guatemala 244 km; El Salvador 391 km; Nicaragua 940 km
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 684 m
arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 4% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 15.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 45.3% (2018 est.)
other: 25.9% (2018 est.)
9,571,352 (2023 est.)
noun: Honduran(s)
adjective: Honduran
Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, African descent 2%, White 1%
Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects
major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Evangelical/Protestant 48%, Roman Catholic 34%, other 1%, none 17% (2020 est.)
Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and has one of the world’s highest murder rates. More than half of the population lives in poverty and per capita income is one of the lowest in the region. Poverty rates are higher among rural and indigenous people and in the south, west, and along the eastern border than in the north and central areas where most of Honduras’ industries and infrastructure are concentrated. The increased productivity needed to break Honduras’ persistent high poverty rate depends, in part, on further improvements in educational attainment. Although primary-school enrollment is near 100%, educational quality is poor, the drop-out rate and grade repetition remain high, and teacher and school accountability is low.Honduras’ population growth rate has slowed since the 1990s and is now 1.2% annually with a birth rate that averages 2.1 children per woman and more among rural, indigenous, and poor women. Honduras’ young adult population - ages 15 to 29 - is projected to continue growing rapidly for the next three decades and then stabilize or slowly shrink. Population growth and limited job prospects outside of agriculture will continue to drive emigration. Remittances represent about a fifth of GDP.
0-14 years: 27.92% (male 1,352,581/female 1,319,338)
15-64 years: 66.18% (male 3,050,008/female 3,283,949)
65 years and over: 5.91% (2023 est.) (male 249,241/female 316,235)
total dependency ratio: 53.3
youth dependency ratio: 46.9
elderly dependency ratio: 6.4
potential support ratio: 15.5 (2021 est.)
total: 25.3 years (2023 est.)
male: 24.4 years
female: 26.2 years
1.28% (2023 est.)
20.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
most residents live in the mountainous western half of the country; unlike other Central American nations, Honduras is the only one with an urban population that is distributed between two large centers - the capital of Tegucigalpa and the city of San Pedro Sula; the Rio Ulua valley in the north is the only densely populated lowland area
urban population: 60.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.48% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
1.568 million TEGUCIGALPA (capital), 982,000 San Pedro Sula (2023)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
20.3 years (2011/12 est.)
note: data represents median age a first birth among women 25-49
72 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 15.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 71.9 years (2023 est.)
male: 68.4 years
female: 75.5 years
2.37 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.17 (2023 est.)
69.4% (2019)
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 90.7% of population
total: 96.1% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 9.3% of population
total: 3.9% of population (2020 est.)
9% of GDP (2020)
0.5 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
0.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)
improved: urban: 96.7% of population
rural: 87.9% of population
total: 93% of population
unimproved: urban: 3.3% of population
rural: 12.1% of population
total: 7% of population (2020 est.)
degree of risk: high (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
21.4% (2016)
total: 2.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 1.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
7.1% (2019)
53.5% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 9.2%
women married by age 18: 34%
men married by age 18: 10% (2019 est.)
6.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.5%
male: 88.2%
female: 88.7% (2019)
total: 10 years
male: 10 years
female: 11 years (2019)
urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled development and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country’s largest source of fresh water), as well as several rivers and streams, with heavy metals
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
agricultural land: 28.8% (2018 est.)
arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 4% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 15.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 45.3% (2018 est.)
other: 25.9% (2018 est.)
urban population: 60.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.48% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.91% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 18.93 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 9.81 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 7.72 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 2,162,028 tons (2016 est.)
salt water lake(s): Laguna de Caratasca - 1,110 sq km
municipal: 320 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 111 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 1.18 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
92.16 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
second-fastest-growing Central American economy; COVID-19 and two hurricanes crippled activity; high poverty and inequality; declining-but-still-high violent crime disruption; systemic corruption; coffee and banana exporter; enormous remittances
$57.273 billion (2021 est.)
$50.894 billion (2020 est.)
$55.905 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
12.53% (2021 est.)
-8.96% (2020 est.)
2.65% (2019 est.)
$5,600 (2021 est.)
$5,000 (2020 est.)
$5,600 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$25.145 billion (2019 est.)
4.48% (2021 est.)
3.47% (2020 est.)
4.37% (2019 est.)
Moody’s rating: B1 (2017)
Standard & Poors rating: BB- (2017)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 14.2% (2017 est.)
industry: 28.8% (2017 est.)
services: 57% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 77.7% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 13.8% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 23.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.7% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 43.6% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -58.9% (2017 est.)
sugarcane, oil palm fruit, milk, bananas, maize, coffee, melons, oranges, poultry, beans
sugar processing, coffee, woven and knit apparel, wood products, cigars
20.05% (2021 est.)
4.314 million (2021 est.)
8.51% (2021 est.)
8.37% (2020 est.)
5.7% (2019 est.)
note: about one-third of the people are underemployed
total: 15.5% (2021 est.)
male: 11.4%
female: 24.6%
48.3% (2018 est.)
48.2 (2019 est.)
on food: 32.8% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 4.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 1.2%
highest 10%: 38.4% (2014)
revenues: $6.476 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $6.454 billion (2019 est.)
-2.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
39.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
38.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
14.77% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
calendar year
-$1.222 billion (2021 est.)
$676.895 million (2020 est.)
-$661.552 million (2019 est.)
$7.941 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$6.269 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$7.243 billion (2019 est.)
United States 53%, El Salvador 8%, Guatemala 5%, Nicaragua 5% (2019)
clothing and apparel, coffee, insulated wiring, palm oil, shrimp, gold, bananas (2021)
$14.495 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$9.928 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$11.825 billion (2019 est.)
United States 42%, China 10%, Guatemala 8%, El Salvador 8%, Mexico 6% (2019)
refined petroleum, clothing and apparel, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, insulated wiring (2019)
$8.138 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$5.744 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$4.769 billion (31 December 2018 est.)
$9.137 billion (2019 est.)
$8.722 billion (2018 est.)
lempiras (HNL) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
24.017 (2021 est.)
24.582 (2020 est.)
24.509 (2019 est.)
23.903 (2018 est.)
23.487 (2017 est.)
population without electricity: 1 million (2020)
electrification - total population: 94.1% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 100% (2021)
electrification - rural areas: 85.6% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 3.991 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 8,140,480,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 540 million kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 787 million kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 3.16 billion kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 46.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 10.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 7.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 24.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 2.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 8.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 25,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 25,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 66,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
12,870 bbl/day (2015 est.)
56,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
8.523 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 61,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 8.462 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
19.8 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 26
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 251,149 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 450,000 (2018) mt-km
HR
103 (2021)
13
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
90
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
total: 699 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 164 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge
115 km 1.057-mm gauge
420 km 0.914-mm gauge
total: 14,742 km (2012)
paved: 3,367 km (2012)
unpaved: 11,375 km (2012) (1,543 km summer only)
note: an additional 8,951 km of non-official roads used by the coffee industry
465 km (2012) (most navigable only by small craft)
total: 505 (2022)
by type: general cargo 246, oil tanker 82, other 177
major seaport(s): La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela
manyapis