Background: 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. Hurricane Mitch devastated the country in 1998, killing about 5,600 people and causing approximately $2 billion in damage. Since then, the economy has slowly rebounded, despite COVID-19 and severe storm-related setbacks in 2020 and 2021.

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 86 30 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 112,090 km²
Land: 111,890 km²
Water: 200 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee
Country comparison total: 1,575 km
Country comparison border countries: (3) Guatemala 244 km; El Salvador 391 km; Nicaragua 940 km

Land boundaries
Total: 1,575 km
Border countries: (3) Guatemala 244 km; El Salvador 391 km; Nicaragua 940 km

Coastline: 823 km (Caribbean Sea 669 km, Gulf of Fonseca 163 km)

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm

Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Elevation
Highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 684 m

Natural resources: timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower

Land use
Agricultural land: 28.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 15.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 45.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 25.9% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 900 km² (2012)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 320 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 111 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 1.18 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 92.16 billion m³ (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast

Geography
Note: has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

Population
Distribution: 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
Total: 9,529,188
Male: 4,591,247
Female: 4,937,941 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 1.29% (2024 est.)
Below poverty line: 48% (2019 est.)
Below poverty line note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Nationality
Noun: Honduran(s)
Adjective: Honduran

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and European) 90%, Indigenous 7%, African descent 2%, White 1%

Languages: Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects
Major-language samples: La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish); Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Evangelical 55%, Roman Catholic 33.4%, none 10.1%, unspecified 1.5% (2023 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 28.7% (male 1,378,026/female 1,353,238)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,980,393/female 3,282,159)
65 years and over: 5.6% (2024 est.) (male 232,828/female 302,544)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 53.3
Youth dependency ratio: 46.9
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.4
Potential support ratio: 15.5 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 25.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 24.8 years
Female: 26.6 years

Population growth rate: 1.29% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 19.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: 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

Urbanization
Urban population: 60.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.48% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.568 million TEGUCIGALPA (capital), 982,000 San Pedro Sula (2023)

Environment
Current issues: 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
International agreements 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
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.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 20.3 years (2011/12 est.)
Note: data represents median age a first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 72 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 15.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 17.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 13.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.1 years (2024 est.)
Male: 69.6 years
Female: 76.8 years

Total fertility rate: 2.33 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 69.4% (2019)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 90.7% of population
Improved total: 96.1% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 9.3% of population
Unimproved total: 3.9% of population (2020 est.)

Hospital bed density: 0.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 96.7% of population
Improved rural: 87.9% of population
Improved total: 93% of population
Unimproved urban: 3.3% of population
Unimproved rural: 12.1% of population
Unimproved total: 7% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 21.4% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 2.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 1.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 1.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 7.1% (2019)

Education expenditures: 6.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 88.5%
Male: 88.2%
Female: 88.7% (2019)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 10 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 11 years (2019)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 11% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 7.5% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 17% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Honduras
Conventional short form: Honduras
Local long form: República de Honduras
Local short form: Honduras
Etymology: the name means 'depths' in Spanish and refers to the deep anchorage in the northern Bay of Trujillo

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Tegucigalpa
Note: article eight of the Honduran constitution states that the twin cities of Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela, jointly, constitute the capital of the Republic of Honduras; however, virtually all governmental institutions are on the Tegucigalpa side, which in practical terms makes Tegucigalpa the capital
Geographic coordinates: 14 06 N, 87 13 W
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Etymology: while most sources agree that Tegucigalpa is of Nahuatl derivation, there is no consensus on its original meaning

Administrative divisions: 18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest approved 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982
Amendments: proposed by the National Congress with at least two-thirds majority vote of the membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of Congress in its next annual session; constitutional articles, such as the form of government, national sovereignty, the presidential term, and the procedure for amending the constitution, cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2021

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 1 to 3 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Iris Xiomara CASTRO de Zelaya (since 27 January 2022)
Head of government: President Iris Xiomara CASTRO de Zelaya (since 27 January 2022)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term; election last held on 28 November 2021 (next to be held on 30 November 2025)
Note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Election results: 2021: Iris Xiomara CASTRO de Zelaya elected president; percent of vote - Iris Xiomara CASTRO de Zelaya (LIBRE) 51.1%, Nasry Juan ASFURA Zablah (PNH) 36.9%, Yani Benjamin ROSENTHAL Hidalgo (PL) 10%, other 2%; 2017: Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado reelected president; percent of vote - Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (PNH) 43%, Salvador NASRALLA (Alianza de Oposicion contra la Dictadura) 41.4%, Luis Orlando ZELAYA Medrano (PL) 14.7%, other 0.9%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members directly elected in 18 multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 28 November 2021 (next to be held on 30 November 2025)
Elections results: percent of vote by party - LIBRE 39.8%, PNH 31.3%, PL 16.4%, PSH 10.9%, DC 0.8%, PAC 0.8%; seats by party - LIBRE 51, PNH 40, PL 21, PSH 14, DC 1, PAC 1; composition - men 93, women 35, percentage women 27.3%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (15 principal judges, including the court president, and 6 alternates; court organized into civil, criminal, constitutional, and labor chambers)
Note: the court has both judicial and constitutional jurisdiction
Judge selection and term of office: court president elected by his peers; judges elected by the National Congress from candidates proposed by the Nominating Board, a diverse 7-member group of judicial officials and other government and non-government officials nominated by each of their organizations; judges elected by Congress for renewable, 7-year terms
Subordinate courts: courts of appeal; courts of first instance; justices of the peace

Political parties and leaders: Anti-Corruption Party or PAC, Christian Democratic Party or DC, Democratic Liberation of Honduras or Liderh, Democratic Unification Party or UD, The Front or El Frente, Honduran Patriotic Alliance or AP, Innovation and Unity Party or PINU, Liberal Party or PL, Liberty and Refoundation Party or LIBRE, National Party of Honduras or PNH, New Route or NR, Opposition Alliance against the Dictatorship or Alianza de Oposicion contra la Dictadura (electoral coalition), Savior Party of Honduras or PSH, Vamos or Let’s Go, We Are All Honduras (Todos Somos Honduras) or TSH

International organization participation: ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC (suspended), IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNHRC, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO (suspended), WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: chief of mission: Ambassador Javier Efrain BU SOTO (since 12 December 2022)
In the us chancery: 1220 19th Street NW, Suite #320, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 966-7,702
In the us fax: [1] (202) 966-9,751
In the us email address and website: info@wadchn.com; [link]
In the us consulates general: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte (NC), Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Laura F. DOGU (since 12 April 2022)
From the us embassy: Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa M.D.C.
From the us mailing address: 3,480 Tegucigalpa Place, Washington DC 20,521-3,480
From the us telephone: [504] 2,236-9,320,
From the us fax: [504] 2,236-9,037
From the us email address and website: usahonduras@state.gov; [link]

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of cerulean blue (top), white, and cerulean blue, with five cerulean, five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water and the peace and prosperity of its people
Note: similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band

National symbols: scarlet macaw, white-tailed deer; national colors: blue, white

National anthem
Name: 'Himno Nacional de Honduras' (National Anthem of Honduras)
Lyrics/music: Augusto Constancio COELLO/Carlos HARTLING
Note: adopted 1915; the anthem's seven verses chronicle Honduran history; on official occasions, only the chorus and last verse are sung

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales:

Economy overview: 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

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $68.854 billion (2023 est.); $66.473 billion (2022 est.); $63.828 billion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 3.58% (2023 est.); 4.14% (2022 est.); 12.57% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $6,500 (2023 est.); $6,400 (2022 est.); $6,200 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 86.4% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 14.4% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 24.2% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: -1.1% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 37% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -60.9% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12% (2023 est.)
Industry: 26% (2023 est.)
Services: 57.4% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products: sugarcane, oil palm fruit, milk, maize, bananas, coffee, cantaloupes/melons, chicken, oranges, beans (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries: sugar processing, coffee, woven and knit apparel, wood products, cigars

Industrial production growth rate: -2.04% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 4.676 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 6.06% (2023 est.); 7.04% (2022 est.); 7.94% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 11% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 7.5% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 17% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line: 48% (2019 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Budget
Revenues: $5.333 billion (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $5.696 billion (2020 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 15.07% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt: 39.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.91% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.66% (2023 est.); 9.09% (2022 est.); 4.48% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Current account balance: -$1.335 billion (2023 est.); -$2.063 billion (2022 est.); -$1.538 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $9.701 billion (2023 est.); $9.403 billion (2022 est.); $8.052 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: US 51%, Nicaragua 8%, El Salvador 8%, Guatemala 5%, Germany 4% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: garments, coffee, insulated wire, palm oil, bananas (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $17.861 billion (2023 est.); $17.943 billion (2022 est.); $14.869 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: US 47%, Guatemala 10%, China 10%, El Salvador 7%, Mexico 4% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, cotton yarn, garments, synthetic fibers, plastic products (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $7.543 billion (2023 est.); $8.41 billion (2022 est.); $8.667 billion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt external: $7.611 billion (2022 est.)
Note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 94.4% (2022 est.)
Access electrification urban areas: 100%
Access electrification rural areas: 86.8%
Installed generating capacity: 3.195 million kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 8.789 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Exports: 3 million kWh (2022 est.)
Imports: 212.156 million kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 3.424 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 36.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 9.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources wind: 6.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 33.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 10.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Consumption: 190,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: 190,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 20 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 67,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 9.428 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 429,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 8.999 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 16.386 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 414,000 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 7.937 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 76 (2022 est.)

Military expenditures: 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.); 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.); 1.6% of GDP (2020 est.); 1.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military and security forces: Honduran Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, FFAA): Army (Ejercito), Honduran Naval Forces (Fuerzas Naval Hondurena, FNH; includes marines), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH), Honduran Military Police of Public Order (Policía Militar del Orden Público or PMOP) (2024)
Note 1: the National Police of Honduras (Policía Nacional de Honduras, PNH) are under the Secretariat of Security and responsible for internal security; some larger cities have police forces that operate independently of the national police and report to municipal authorities
Note 2: the PMOP supports the PNH against narcotics trafficking and organized crime; it is subordinate to the Secretariat of Defense/FFAA, but conducts operations sanctioned by civilian security officials as well as by military leaders
Note 3: the National Interinstitutional Security Force is an interagency command that coordinates the overlapping responsibilities of the HNP, PMOP, and other security organizations such as the National Intelligence Directorate and the Public Ministry (public prosecutor), but exercises coordination, command, and control responsibilities only during interagency operations involving those forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 24-36 month service obligation; no conscription (2024)
Note: as of 2023, women made up about 9% of the active duty military

National air transport system
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

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: HR

Airports: 129 (2024)

Heliports: 6 (2024)

Roadways
Total: 14,742 km
Paved: 3,367 km
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

Waterways: 465 km (2012) (most navigable only by small craft)

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Idps: 247,000 (violence, extortion, threats, forced recruitment by urban gangs between 2004 and 2018) (2023)

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine destined for the United States and precursor chemicals used to produce illicit drugs; some small-scale coca cultivation