Honduras

total: 476,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2023 est.)

multiple privately owned terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by multiple cable TV networks; Radio Honduras is the state-owned radio network; roughly 300 privately owned radio stations (2019)

.hn

percent of population: 58% (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 444,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 7.92 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 76 (2022 est.)

sugarcane, oil palm fruit, maize, milk, bananas, coffee, cantaloupes/melons, oranges, chicken, beans (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on food: 31.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 4.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

revenues: $5.333 billion (2020 est.) expenditures: $6.391 billion (2020 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

-$1.711 billion (2024 est.) -$1.368 billion (2023 est.) -$2.157 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$7.785 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

lempiras (HNL) per US dollar - 24.799 (2024 est.) 24.602 (2023 est.) 24.486 (2022 est.) 24.017 (2021 est.) 24.582 (2020 est.)

$9.352 billion (2024 est.) $9.805 billion (2023 est.) $9.51 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

garments, coffee, insulated wire, palm oil, shellfish (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

USA 49%, Nicaragua 8%, El Salvador 7%, Guatemala 5%, Mexico 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$37.094 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 86% (2024 est.) government consumption: 15.5% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 23.9% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: -1.4% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 33.5% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -57.6% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 11.2% (2024 est.) industry: 26.1% (2024 est.) services: 58.4% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

46.8 (2023 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

lowest 10%: 1.1% (2023 est.) highest 10%: 33% (2023 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$18.235 billion (2024 est.) $17.926 billion (2023 est.) $18.101 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, cotton yarn, garments, trucks, packaged medicine (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

USA 36%, China 14%, Guatemala 8%, Mexico 6%, El Salvador 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

0.8% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

4.6% (2024 est.) 6.7% (2023 est.) 9.1% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

4.296 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

64.1% (2023 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

38.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

$71.297 billion (2024 est.) $68.85 billion (2023 est.) $66.473 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.6% (2024 est.) 3.6% (2023 est.) 4.1% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$6,600 (2024 est.) $6,500 (2023 est.) $6,400 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

25.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 26.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 27% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$8.036 billion (2024 est.) $7.543 billion (2023 est.) $8.41 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

15.1% (of GDP) (2020 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

6.1% (2024 est.) 6.1% (2023 est.) 8.8% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 10.5% (2024 est.) male: 7.9% (2024 est.) female: 15.9% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

consumption: 144,000 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 148,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity: 3.334 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 8.303 billion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 4 million kWh (2023 est.) imports: 214.601 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 3.617 billion kWh (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 94.4% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural areas: 86.8%

fossil fuels: 38.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 8.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 5.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 33.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) geothermal: 3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 10.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

16.642 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

total petroleum production: 20 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 71,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

10.534 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 324,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 10.21 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

deforestation from logging and agricultural clearing; land degradation and soil erosion from overdevelopment and improper land use practices; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest source of fresh water) and other rivers and streams

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

agricultural land: 32% (2023 est.) arable land: 9.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 5.4% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 17.5% (2023 est.) forest: 53.3% (2023 est.) other: 14.8% (2023 est.)

19.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

92.164 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal: 315 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 114 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 1.178 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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

municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.162 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 10.3% (2022 est.)

total : 112,090 sq km land: 111,890 sq km water: 200 sq km

slightly larger than Tennessee

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

823 km (Caribbean Sea 669 km; Gulf of Fonseca 163 km)

highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m mean elevation: 684 m

15 00 N, 86 30 W

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

900 sq km (2012)

total: 1,575 km border countries (3): Guatemala 244 km; El Salvador 391 km; Nicaragua 940 km

agricultural land: 32% (2023 est.) arable land: 9.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 5.4% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 17.5% (2023 est.) forest: 53.3% (2023 est.) other: 14.8% (2023 est.)

Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua

salt water lake(s): Laguna de Caratasca - 1,110 sq km

Central America and the Caribbean

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm

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

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

most residents live in the mountainous western half of the country; Honduras is the only Central American nation 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

mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

18 departments ( departamentos , singular - departamento ); Atl ntida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Moraz n, Gracias a Dios, Intibuc , Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro

name: Tegucigalpa geographic coordinates: 14 06 N, 87 13 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) etymology: the name is a Nahuatl word meaning "silver mountain," probably referring to nearby silver mines note: the Honduran constitution states that Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela jointly constitute the capital of Honduras, but virtually all governmental institutions are on the Tegucigalpa side

citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 1 to 3 years

history: several previous; latest approved 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982 amendment process: 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

conventional long form: Republic of Honduras conventional short form: Honduras local long form: Rep blica 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

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d Affaires Colleen Anne HOEY (since 23 June 2025) embassy: Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa M.D.C. mailing address: 3480 Tegucigalpa Place, Washington DC 20521-3480 telephone: [504] 2236-9320, FAX: [504] 2236-9037 email address and website: usahonduras@state.gov https://hn.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d'Affaires Leonardo VALENZUELA NEDA (since 10 June 2025) chancery: 1220 19th Street NW, Suite #320, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702 FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751 email address and website: info@wadchn.com https://hondurasembusa.org/ consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte (NC), Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

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 election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 4-year term most recent election date: 30 November 2025 election results: 2025: Nasry Juan ASFURA Zablah elected president; percent of vote - Nasry Juan ASFURA Zablah (PNH) 40.3%, Salvador NASRALLA (PL) 39.5%, Rixi Ramona MONCADA Godoy (LIBRE) 19.2%; note - ASFURA will take office 27 January 2026 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% expected date of next election: 25 November 2029 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

description: three equal horizontal bands of cerulean blue (top), white, and cerulean blue, with five five-pointed cerulean stars arranged in an "X" pattern and centered in the white band meaning: the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; blue stands for the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and white for the land and the people's peace and prosperity note: similar to the flag of El Salvador, which has a round emblem surrounded by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which has a triangle with the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA above and AMERICA CENTRAL below

presidential republic

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

highest court(s): 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) 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 note: the Supreme Court has both judicial and constitutional jurisdiction

civil law system

legislature name: National Congress (Congreso Nacional) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 128 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 11/30/2025 parties elected and seats per party: Liberty and Refoundation Party (LIBRE) (50); National Party (PN) (44); Liberal Party (PL) (22); Salvador de Honduras Party (PSH) (10); Other (2) percentage of women in chamber: 27.3% expected date of next election: November 2029

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

blue, white

total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Maya Site of Copan (c); R o Pl tano Biosphere Reserve (n)

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

scarlet macaw, white-tailed deer

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

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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.

the Honduran Armed Forces (FFAA) are responsible for maintaining the country s territory, defending its sovereignty, providing emergency/humanitarian assistance, and supporting the National Police (PNH); the FFAA s primary focus is internal and border security, and since 2011 a considerable portion of it has been deployed to support the PNH in combating narcotics trafficking and organized crime; military support to domestic security included the creation of the Military Police of Public Order (PMOP) in 2013 to provide security in areas controlled by street gangs to combat crime and make arrests; the FFAA, including the PMOP, cooperates with the militaries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua on border security the FFAA has received military equipment, training, humanitarian, and technical assistance from the US military; the US military maintains a joint service task force co-located with the FFAA at Soto Cano Air Base (2025)

Honduran Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, FFAA): Army (Ejercito), Honduran Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Hondurena, FNH; includes marines), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH), Honduran Military Police of Public Order (Polic a Militar del Orden P blico or PMOP) (2025) note 1: the National Police of Honduras (Polic a 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

approximately 15,000 active Honduran Armed Forces (2025)

the FFAA's inventory is comprised of a mix of older or secondhand and limited amounts of more modern equipment; its main supplier is the US; other suppliers include Colombia, Israel, the Netherlands, and the UK (2025)

1.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 24 36 month service obligation; no conscription (2026)

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)

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.)

19.7 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

women married by age 15: 9.2% (2019) women married by age 18: 34% (2019) men married by age 18: 10% (2019)

7.1% (2019 est.)

54.4% (2019 est.)

4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio: 52.2 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 43.6 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 8.5 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 11.7 (2024 est.)

urban: 99.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 90.8% of population (2022 est.) total: 95.8% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 9.2% of population (2022 est.) total: 4.2% of population (2022 est.)

4.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 23.2% national budget (2018 est.)

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

1.13 (2025 est.)

9.2% of GDP (2021) 14.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

total: 15.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 17.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de informaci n b sica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

total population: 73.1 years (2024 est.) male: 69.6 years female: 76.8 years

total population: 88.2% (2024 est.) male: 87.6% (2024 est.) female: 88.8% (2024 est.)

1.568 million TEGUCIGALPA (capital), 982,000 San Pedro Sula (2023)

47 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

total: 26.1 years (2025 est.) male: 24.8 years female: 26.6 years

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

noun: Honduran(s) adjective: Honduran

-2.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

21.4% (2016)

0.49 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

total: 9,529,188 (2024 est.) male: 4,591,247 female: 4,937,941

most residents live in the mountainous western half of the country; Honduras is the only Central American nation 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

1.28% (2025 est.)

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

urban: 96.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 88.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 93.2% of population (2022 est.) urban: 3.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 11.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 6.8% of population (2022 est.)

total: 10 years (2019 est.) male: 9 years (2019 est.) female: 10 years (2019 est.)

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.)

total: 11.9% (2025 est.) male: 22.2% (2025 est.) female: 1.6% (2025 est.)

2.29 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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

La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 341 (2024 est.) IDPs: 100,637 (2024 est.)

129 (2025)

HR

6 (2025)

total: 489 (2023) by type: general cargo 233, oil tanker 82, other 174

total ports: 8 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 1 very small: 7 ports with oil terminals: 3 key ports: Coxen Hole, La Ceiba, Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, Puerto de Hencan, Puerto Este, Tela, Trujillo

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