ARCHIVE // HN // 2019
Honduras
2019 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
[time series]
total: 232,990 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2017 est.)
Broadcast media
[time series]
multiple privately owned terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by multiple cable TV networks; Radio Honduras is the lone government-owned radio network; roughly 300 privately owned radio stations
Internet country code
[time series]
.hn
Internet users
[time series]
total: 2,667,978 | percent of population: 30% (July 2016 est.)
Telecommunication systems
(Telephone system)
[time series]
general assessment: fixed-line connections are increasing but still limited; competition among multiple providers of mobile-cellular services is contributing to a sharp increase in subscribership; demand for broadband increasing and some investment needed in network upgrades; mobile penetration below regional average (2018) | domestic: private sub-operators allowed to provide fixed lines in order to expand telephone coverage contributing to a small increase in fixed-line teledensity 5 per 100; mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 91 per 100 persons (2018) | international: country code - 504; landing points for both the ARCOS and the MAYA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable systems that together provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System (2019)
Telephones - fixed lines
[time series]
total subscriptions: 491,107 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2017 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
total subscriptions: 8,233,499 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 91 (2017 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture - products)
[time series]
bananas, coffee, citrus, corn, African palm; beef; timber; shrimp, tilapia, lobster, sugar, oriental vegetables
Budget
[time series]
revenues: 4.658 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 5.283 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
[time series]
-2.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Central bank discount rate
[time series]
6.25% (31 December 2010)
Commercial bank prime lending rate
[time series]
19.26% (31 December 2017 est.) | 19.33% (31 December 2016 est.)
Current account balance
[time series]
-$380 million (2017 est.) | -$587 million (2016 est.)
Debt - external
[time series]
$8.625 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $7.852 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
(Distribution of family income - Gini index)
[time series]
47.1 (2014) | 45.7 (2009)
Economic overview
(Economy - overview)
[time series]
Honduras, the second poorest country in Central America, suffers from extraordinarily unequal distribution of income, as well as high underemployment. While historically dependent on the export of bananas and coffee, Honduras has diversified its export base to include apparel and automobile wire harnessing. Honduras’s economy depends heavily on US trade and remittances. The US-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement came into force in 2006 and has helped foster foreign direct investment, but physical and political insecurity, as well as crime and perceptions of corruption, may deter potential investors; about 15% of foreign direct investment is from US firms. The economy registered modest economic growth of 3.1%-4.0% from 2010 to 2017, insufficient to improve living standards for the nearly 65% of the population in poverty. In 2017, Honduras faced rising public debt, but its economy has performed better than expected due to low oil prices and improved investor confidence. Honduras signed a three-year standby arrangement with the IMF in December 2014, aimed at easing Honduras’s poor fiscal position.
Exchange rates
[time series]
lempiras (HNL) per US dollar - | 23.74 (2017 est.) | 22.995 (2016 est.) | 22.995 (2015 est.) | 22.098 (2014 est.) | 21.137 (2013 est.)
Exports
[time series]
$8.675 billion (2017 est.) | $7.841 billion (2016 est.)
Exports - commodities
[time series]
coffee, apparel, coffee, shrimp, automobile wire harnesses, cigars, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber
Exports - partners
[time series]
US 34.5%, Germany 8.9%, Belgium 7.7%, El Salvador 7.3%, Netherlands 7.2%, Guatemala 5.2%, Nicaragua 4.8% (2017)
Fiscal year
[time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$22.98 billion (2017 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP (purchasing power parity))
[time series]
$46.3 billion (2017 est.) | $44.18 billion (2016 est.) | $42.58 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
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.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 14.2% (2017 est.) | industry: 28.8% (2017 est.) | services: 57% (2017 est.)
Real GDP per capita
(GDP - per capita (PPP))
[time series]
$5,600 (2017 est.) | $5,400 (2016 est.) | $5,300 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
(GDP - real growth rate)
[time series]
4.8% (2017 est.) | 3.8% (2016 est.) | 3.8% (2015 est.)
Gross national saving
[time series]
22.1% of GDP (2017 est.) | 20.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | 20.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 1.2% | highest 10%: 38.4% (2014)
Imports
[time series]
$11.32 billion (2017 est.) | $10.56 billion (2016 est.)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
communications equipment, machinery and transport, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners
[time series]
US 40.3%, Guatemala 10.5%, China 8.5%, Mexico 6.2%, El Salvador 5.7%, Panama 4.4%, Costa Rica 4.2% (2017)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
4.5% (2017 est.)
Industries
[time series]
sugar processing, coffee, woven and knit apparel, wood products, cigars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
3.9% (2017 est.) | 2.7% (2016 est.)
Labor force
[time series]
3.735 million (2017 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
agriculture: 39.2% | industry: 20.9% | services: 39.8% (2005 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares
[time series]
NA
Population below poverty line
[time series]
29.6% (2014)
Public debt
[time series]
39.5% of GDP (2017 est.) | 38.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$4.708 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $3.814 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Stock of broad money
[time series]
$2.827 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $2.455 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Stock of domestic credit
[time series]
$13.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $12.67 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Stock of narrow money
[time series]
$2.827 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $2.455 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
20.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment rate
[time series]
5.6% (2017 est.) | 6.3% (2016 est.) | note: about one-third of the people are underemployed
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions
(Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy)
[time series]
9.436 million Mt (2017 est.)
Crude oil - exports
[time series]
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - imports
[time series]
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - production
[time series]
0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves
[time series]
0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Electricity - consumption
[time series]
7.22 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports
[time series]
536 million kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels
[time series]
40% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
[time series]
25% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
[time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources
[time series]
34% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - imports
[time series]
195 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity
[time series]
2.546 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - production
[time series]
8.501 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity access
[time series]
population without electricity: 2 million (2017) | electrification - total population: 87.6% (2016) | electrification - urban areas: 100% (2016) | electrification - rural areas: 72.2% (2016)
Natural gas - consumption
[time series]
0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports
[time series]
0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports
[time series]
0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - production
[time series]
0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
[time series]
0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption
[time series]
59,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports
[time series]
12,870 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports
[time series]
56,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production
[time series]
0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 112,090 sq km | land: 111,890 sq km | water: 200 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly larger than Tennessee | Area comparison map: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Central America :: Honduras Print Image Description slightly larger than Tennessee
Climate
[time series]
subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
Coastline
[time series]
823 km (Caribbean Sea 669 km, Gulf of Fonseca 163 km)
Elevation
[time series]
mean elevation: 684 m | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m
Environment - current issues
[time series]
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 environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
15 00 N, 86 30 W
Geography - note
[time series]
has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast
Irrigated land
[time series]
900 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 1,575 km | border countries (3): Guatemala 244 km, El Salvador 391 km, Nicaragua 940 km
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 28.8% (2011 est.) | arable land: 9.1% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 4% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 15.7% (2011 est.) | forest: 45.3% (2011 est.) | other: 25.9% (2011 est.)
Location
[time series]
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua
Map references
[time series]
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
[time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm
Natural hazards
[time series]
frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast
Natural resources
[time series]
timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower
Population distribution
[time series]
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
Terrain
[time series]
mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
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
Capital
[time series]
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)
Citizenship
[time series]
citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent only: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 1 to 3 years
Constitution
[time series]
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 many times, last in 2015; note - the 2015 amendment struck down several constitutional articles on presidential term limits (2018)
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Republic of Honduras | conventional short form: Honduras | local long form: Republica 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
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Colleen A. HOEY (since August 2019) | telephone: [504] 2236-9320, 2238-5114 | embassy: Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa M.D.C. | mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa | FAX: [504] 2236-9037
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
Ambassador Marlon Ramsses TABORA Munoz (since 24 April 2017) | chancery: Suite 700, 1250 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 | telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702 | FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751 | consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco | consulate(s): Dallas, McAllen (TX)
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (since 27 January 2014); Vice Presidents Ricardo ALVAREZ, Maria RIVERA, and Olga ALVARADO (since 26 January 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government | head of government: President Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (since 27 January 2014); Vice Presidents Ricardo ALVAREZ, Maria RIVERA, and Olga ALVARADO (since 26 January 2018) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president | elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term; election last held on 26 November 2017 (next to be held in November 2021); note - in 2015, the Constitutional Chamber of the Honduran Supreme Court struck down the constitutional provisions on presidential term limits | election results: Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado reelected president; percent of vote Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (PNH) 43%, Salvador NASRALLA (Alianza de Oposicion conta la Dictadura) 41.4%, Luis Orlando ZELAYA Medrano (PL) 14.7%, other .9%
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
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
Government type
[time series]
presidential republic
Independence
[time series]
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
International law organization participation
[time series]
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
[time series]
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, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO (suspended), WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch
[time series]
highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (15 principal judges, including the court president, and 7 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
Legal system
[time series]
civil law system
Legislative branch
[time series]
description: unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed, party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 27 November 2017 (next to be held on 28 November 2021) | election results: percent of vote by party - PNH 47.7%, LIBRE 23.4%, PL 20.3%, AP 3.1%, PINU 3.1%, DC 0.8%, PAC 0.8%, UD 0.8%; seats by party - PNH 61, LIBRE 30, PL 26, AP 4, PINU 4, DC 1, PAC 1, UD 1; composition - men 101, women 27, percent of women 21.1%
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
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 holiday
[time series]
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
scarlet macaw, white-tailed deer; national colors: blue, white
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
Alliance against the Dictatorship or Alianza de Oposicion conta la Dictadura [Salvador NASRALLA] (electoral coalition) Anti-Corruption Party or PAC [Marlene ALVARENGA] Christian Democratic Party or DC [Lucas AGUILERA] Democratic Unification Party or UD [Alfonso DIAZ] Freedom and Refoundation Party or LIBRE [Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales] Honduran Patriotic Alliance or AP [Romeo VASQUEZ Velasquez] Liberal Party or PL [Luis Orlando ZELAYA Medrano] National Party of Honduras or PNH [Reinaldo SANCHEZ Rivera] Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Guillermo VALLE]
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Introduction
Background
[time series]
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.
Military and Security
Military and security forces
[time series]
Honduran Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, FFAA): Army, Honduran Naval Force (FNH; includes marines), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH), Honduran Public Order Military Police (PMOP) (2019)
Military expenditures
[time series]
1.71% of GDP (2018) | 1.74% of GDP (2017) | 1.68% of GDP (2016) | 1.68% of GDP (2015) | 4.62% of GDP (2014)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
18 years of age for voluntary 2- to 3-year military service; no conscription (2018)
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 32.37% (male 1,518,526 /female 1,453,891) | 15-24 years: 20.88% (male 977,899 /female 939,490) | 25-54 years: 37.07% (male 1,724,257 /female 1,679,694) | 55-64 years: 5.27% (male 229,066 /female 255,169) | 65 years and over: 4.41% (male 174,771 /female 230,003) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Central America :: Honduras Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Honduras. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.
Birth rate
[time series]
22 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
7.1% (2012)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
[time series]
73.2% (2011/12)
Current health expenditure
(Current Health Expenditure)
[time series]
8.4% (2016)
Death rate
[time series]
5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Demographic profile
[time series]
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, but it remains high at nearly 2% annually because the birth rate averages approximately three children per woman and more among rural, indigenous, and poor women. Consequently, 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.
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 59.8 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 52.7 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 7.1 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 14.2 (2015 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: 97.4% of population | rural: 83.8% of population | total: 91.2% of population | unimproved: urban: 2.6% of population | rural: 16.2% of population | total: 8.8% of population (2015 est.)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
6% of GDP (2017)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
0.3% (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
[time series]
<1000 (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
[time series]
23,000 (2018 est.)
Hospital bed density
[time series]
0.7 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 16.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 18.9 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 14.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
[time series]
Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 71.3 years (2018 est.) | male: 69.6 years | female: 73 years
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 89% | male: 89% | female: 88.9% (2016)
Major infectious diseases
[time series]
degree of risk: high (2016) | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016) | vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria (2016) | note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
1.403 million TEGUCIGALPA (capital), 876,000 San Pedro Sula (2019)
Maternal mortality ratio
(Maternal mortality rate)
[time series]
65 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Median age
[time series]
total: 23.3 years (2018 est.) | male: 23 years | female: 23.7 years
Mother's mean age at first birth
[time series]
20.4 years (2011/12 est.) | note: median age a first birth among women 25-29
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Honduran(s) | adjective: Honduran
Net migration rate
[time series]
-1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
21.4% (2016)
Physician density
(Physicians density)
[time series]
0.31 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Population
[time series]
9,182,766 (July 2018 est.) | note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Population distribution
[time series]
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
Population growth rate
[time series]
1.56% (2018 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Roman Catholic 46%, Protestant 41%, atheist 1%, other 2%, none 9% (2014 est.)
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 86.7% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 77.7% of population (2015 est.) | total: 82.6% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 13.3% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 22.3% of population (2015 est.) | total: 17.4% of population (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 10 years | male: 10 years | female: 11 years (2014)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female | total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2018 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
2.61 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
(Unemployment, youth ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 7.9% | male: 5.6% | female: 12.1% (2017 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 57.7% of total population (2019) | rate of urbanization: 2.75% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border in 1992 with final settlement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned in the ICJ ruling, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca; Honduras claims the Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize in its constitution, but agreed to a joint ecological park around the cays should Guatemala consent to a maritime corridor in the Caribbean under the OAS-sponsored 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum
Illicit drugs
[time series]
transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; corruption is a major problem; some money-laundering activity
Refugees and internally displaced persons
[time series]
IDPs: 190,000 (violence, extortion, threats, forced recruitment by urban gangs) (2016)
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
103 (2013)
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
total: 13 (2017) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2017) | 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2017) | under 914 m: 3 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways
[time series]
total: 90 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 16 (2013) | under 914 m: 73 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
[time series]
HR (2016)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 550 | by type: container ship 1, general cargo 249, oil tanker 89, other 211 (2018)
National air transport system
[time series]
number of registered air carriers: 5 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 10 (2015) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 251,149 (2015) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 502,372 mt-km (2015)
Ports
(Ports and terminals)
[time series]
major seaport(s): La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela
Railways
[time series]
total: 699 km (2014) | narrow gauge: 164 km 1.067-m gauge (2014) | 115 km 1.057-m gauge 420 km 0.914-m gauge
Roadways
[time series]
total: 14,742 km (2012) | paved: 3,367 km (2012) | unpaved: 11,375 km (1,543 km summer only) (2012) | note: an additional 8,951 km of non-official roads used by the coffee industry
Waterways
[time series]
465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2012)