Honduras

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.

land

111,890 sq km

total

112,090 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)

border countries

Guatemala 244 km; El Salvador 391 km; Nicaragua 940 km

total

1,575 km

agricultural land

28.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 15.7% (2018 est.)

forest

45.3% (2018 est.)

other

25.9% (2018 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

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

natural extension of territory or to 200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 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; 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

mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

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)

beer

1.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

2.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

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

men married by age 18

10% (2019 est.)

women married by age 15

9.2%

women married by age 18

34%

7.1% (2019)

69.4% (2019)

9% of GDP (2020)

53.5% (2023 est.)

5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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.

elderly dependency ratio

6.4

potential support ratio

15.5 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

53.3

youth dependency ratio

46.9

improved: rural

rural: 90.7% of population

improved: total

total: 96.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 9.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 3.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

6.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

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

1.15 (2024 est.)

0.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)

female

13.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

17.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

15.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

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.

female

76.8 years

male

69.6 years

total population

73.1 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

88.7% (2019)

male

88.2%

total population

88.5%

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

72 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

26.6 years

male

24.8 years

total

25.7 years (2024 est.)

20.3 years (2011/12 est.)

note

note: data represents median age a first birth among women 25-49

adjective

Honduran

noun

Honduran(s)

-1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

21.4% (2016)

0.5 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

female

4,937,941 (2024 est.)

male

4,591,247

total

9,529,188

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

1.29% (2024 est.)

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

improved: rural

rural: 87.9% of population

improved: total

total: 93% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 12.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 7% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.3% of population

female

11 years (2019)

male

10 years

total

10 years

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

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

2.33 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

2.48% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

60.2% of total population (2023)

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

etymology

while most sources agree that Tegucigalpa is of Nahuatl derivation, there is no consensus on its original meaning

geographic coordinates

14 06 N, 87 13 W

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

time difference

UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

1 to 3 years

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

history

several previous; latest approved 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982

conventional long form

Republic of Honduras

conventional short form

Honduras

etymology

the name means "depths" in Spanish and refers to the deep anchorage in the northern Bay of Trujillo

local long form

República de Honduras

local short form

Honduras

chief of mission

Ambassador Laura F. DOGU (since 12 April 2022)

email address and website

usahonduras@state.govhttps://hn.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa M.D.C.

FAX

[504] 2236-9037

mailing address

3480 Tegucigalpa Place, Washington DC  20521-3480

telephone

[504] 2236-9320,

chancery

1220 19th Street NW, Suite #320, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Javier Efrain BU SOTO (since 12 December 2022)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte (NC), Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

email address and website

info@wadchn.comhttps://hondurasembusa.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 966-9751

telephone

[1] (202) 966-7702

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by president

chief of state

President Iris Xiomara CASTRO de Zelaya (since 27 January 2022) 

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%

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 - in 2015, the Constitutional Chamber of the Honduran Supreme Court struck down the constitutional provisions on presidential term limits

head of government

President Iris Xiomara CASTRO de Zelaya (since 27 January 2022) 

note

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

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

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

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); 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

civil law system

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)

election 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%

elections

last held on 28 November 2021 (next to be held on 30 November 2025)

lyrics/music

Augusto Constancio COELLO/Carlos HARTLING

name

"Himno Nacional de Honduras" (National Anthem of Honduras)

note

note: adopted 1915; the anthem's seven verses chronicle Honduran history; on official occasions, only the chorus and last verse are sung

selected World Heritage Site locales

Maya Site of Copan (c); Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (n)

total World Heritage Sites

2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

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

Anti-Corruption Party or PACChristian Democratic Party or DCDemocratic Liberation of Honduras or LiderhDemocratic Unification Party or UDThe Front or El FrenteHonduran Patriotic Alliance or APInnovation and Unity Party or PINULiberal Party or PLLiberty and Refoundation Party or LIBRENational Party of Honduras or PNHNew Route or NROpposition Alliance against the Dictatorship or Alianza de Oposicion contra la Dictadura (electoral coalition)Savior Party of Honduras or PSHVamos or Let’s GoWe Are All Honduras (Todos Somos Honduras) or TSH

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

sugarcane, oil palm fruit, milk, maize, bananas, coffee, cantaloupes/melons, chicken, oranges, beans (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on alcohol and tobacco

4.9% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

31.6% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

expenditures

$5.696 billion (2020 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$5.333 billion (2020 est.)

Moody's rating

B1 (2017)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BB- (2017)

Current account balance 2021

-$1.538 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$2.063 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$1.335 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external 2022

$7.611 billion (2022 est.)

note

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

Currency

lempiras (HNL) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

24.509 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

24.582 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

24.017 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

24.486 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

24.602 (2023 est.)

Exports 2021

$8.052 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$9.403 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$9.701 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

garments, coffee, insulated wire, palm oil, bananas (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

US 51%, Nicaragua 8%, El Salvador 8%, Guatemala 5%, Germany 4% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

37% (2023 est.)

government consumption

14.4% (2023 est.)

household consumption

86.4% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-60.9% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.2% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-1.1% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

12% (2023 est.)

industry

26% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

57.4% (2023 est.)

$34.401 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

48.2 (2019 est.)

note

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

highest 10%

34.6% (2019 est.)

lowest 10%

1.2% (2019 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2021

$14.869 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$17.943 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$17.861 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, cotton yarn, garments, synthetic fibers, plastic products (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

US 47%, Guatemala 10%, China 10%, El Salvador 7%, Mexico 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-2.04% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

4.48% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

9.09% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.66% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

4.676 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

48% (2019 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt 2017

39.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$63.828 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$66.473 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$68.854 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

12.57% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.14% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.58% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$6,200 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$6,400 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$6,500 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

25.59% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

27% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

25.58% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$8.667 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$8.41 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$7.543 billion (2023 est.)

15.07% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

7.94% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

7.04% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

6.06% (2023 est.)

female

17% (2023 est.)

male

7.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

11% (2023 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.)

total emissions

9.428 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

190,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

190,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

8.789 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

3 million kWh (2022 est.)

imports

212.156 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

3.195 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

3.424 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - rural areas

86.8%

electrification - total population

94.4% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

biomass and waste

10.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

36.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

geothermal

3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

33.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

9.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

6.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

16.386 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

67,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

20 bbl/day (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4 (2020 est.)

total

396,916 (2020)

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 (2019)

.hn

percent of population

48% (2021 est.)

total

4.8 million (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line teledensity of 5 per 100; mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 74 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Honduras is among the poorest countries in Central America and has long been plagued by an unstable political framework which has rendered telecom sector reform difficult; this has created real difficulties for telcos as well as consumers; fixed-line teledensity, at only 4.9%, is significantly lower than the Latin American and Caribbean average; poor fixed-line infrastructure has been exacerbated by low investment and topographical difficulties which have made investment in rural areas unattractive or uneconomical; the internet has been slow to develop; DSL and cable modem technologies are available but are relatively expensive, while higher speed services are largely restricted to the major urban centers; the demand for broadband is steadily increasing and there has been some investment in network upgrades to fiber-based infrastructure   (2022)

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)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

414,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

76 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

7.937 million (2022 est.)

129 (2024)

HR

6 (2024)

by type

general cargo 233, oil tanker 82, other 174

total

489 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

450,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

251,149 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

26

number of registered air carriers

4 (2020)

key ports

Coxen Hole, La Ceiba, Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, Puerto de Hencan, Puerto Este, Tela, Trujillo

ports with oil terminals

3

small

1

total ports

8 (2024)

very small

7

narrow gauge

164 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

note

115 km 1.057-mm gauge420 km 0.914-mm gauge

total

699 km (2014)

note

note: an additional 8,951 km of non-official roads used by the coffee industry

paved

3,367 km

total

14,742 km

unpaved

11,375 km (2012) (1,543 km summer only)

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

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 PMOP also has sent personnel to reinforce security operations along the country’s border as part of a tri-national security task force with El Salvador and Guatemalathe 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 (2024)

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

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

approximately 16,000 active personnel (7,500 Army; 1,500 Navy, including about 1,000 marines; 2,000 Air Force; 5,000 Military Police of Public Order); approximately 18,000 National Police (2023)

the FFAA's inventory is comprised of a mix of older or secondhand and limited amounts of more equipment from a wide mix of suppliers, including Colombia, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, South Korea, the UK, and the US (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 24-36 month service obligation; no conscription (2024)

note

note: as of 2023, women made up about 9% of the active duty military

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

IDPs

247,000 (violence, extortion, threats, forced recruitment by urban gangs between 2004 and 2018) (2023)

carbon dioxide emissions

9.81 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

7.72 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

18.93 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

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

agricultural land

28.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 15.7% (2018 est.)

forest

45.3% (2018 est.)

other

25.9% (2018 est.)

salt water lake(s)

Laguna de Caratasca - 1,110 sq km

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

0.91% of GDP (2018 est.)

92.16 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

1.18 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

111 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

320 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

2.48% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

60.2% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,162,028 tons (2016 est.)