2021 Edition

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. 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.

Area

land

111,890 sq km

total

112,090 sq km

water

200 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Tennessee

Climate

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Coastline

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

Elevation

highest point

Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

mean elevation

684 m

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 86 30 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

900 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

1,575 km

Land use

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.)

Location

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

Major lakes (area sq km)

Salt water lake(s)

Laguna de Caratasca - 1,110 sq km

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

natural extension of territory or to 200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

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

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

Terrain

mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Age structure

0-14 years

30.2% (male 1,411,537/female 1,377,319)

15-24 years

21.03% (male 969,302/female 972,843)

25-54 years

37.79% (male 1,657,260/female 1,832,780)

55-64 years

5.58% (male 233,735/female 281,525)

65 years and over

5.4% (male 221,779/female 277,260) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

18.19 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

7.1% (2011/12)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

73.2% (2011/12)

Current Health Expenditure

7.1% (2018)

Death rate

4.67 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Demographic profile

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.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

7.7

potential support ratio

13 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

55.2

youth dependency ratio

47.5

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 88.9% of population

improved: total

total: 94.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 11.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 5.2% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

4.9% of GDP (2019)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

22,000 (2020 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

13.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

17.52 deaths/1,000 live births

total

15.39 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.58 years (2021 est.)

male

71.34 years

total population

74.9 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

88.7% (2019)

male

88.2%

total population

88.5%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

Major urban areas - population

1.485 million TEGUCIGALPA (capital), 929,000 San Pedro Sula (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

65 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

25.2 years (2020 est.)

male

23.5 years

total

24.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.3 years (2011/12 est.)

note

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

Nationality

adjective

Honduran

noun

Honduran(s)

Net migration rate

-1.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.4% (2016)

Physicians density

0.31 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

9,346,277 (July 2021 est.)

note

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

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

1.22% (2021 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 46%, Protestant 41%, atheist 1%, other 2%, none 9% (2014 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 83.5% of population

improved: total

total: 90.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 95.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 16.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 9.8% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.6% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2019)

male

10 years

total

10 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.9 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.83 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.8 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.05 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

27.7% (2020 est.)

male

11.1%

total

17.8%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

59% of total population (2021)

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

Capital

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

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

1 to 3 years

Constitution

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

Country name

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

Republica de Honduras

local short form

Honduras

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Colleen A. HOEY (since August 2019)

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,

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Luis Fernando SUAZO BARAHONA (since 17 September 2020)

consulate(s)

Dallas, McAllen (TX)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco

email address and website

https://hondurasembusa.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 966-9751

telephone

[1] (202) 966-7702

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by president

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

election results

2021: Xiomara CASTRO de Zelaya elected president; percent of vote - Xiomara CASTRO de Zelaya (LIBRE) 51.1%, Nasry Juan ASFURA Zablah (PNH) 36.9%, Yani Benjamin ROSENTHAL Hidalgo (PL) 10%, other 2%; note - CASTRO will take office 27 January 20222017: 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 in 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 Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (since 27 January 2014); Vice Presidents Ricardo ALVAREZ, Maria RIVERA, and Olga ALVARADO (since 26 January 2018)

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

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

presidential republic

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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

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

civil law system

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)

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 bloc or party - LIBRE 51, PNH 40, PL 21, PSH 14, DC 1, PAC 1

elections

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

National anthem

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National symbol(s)

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

Political parties and leaders

Anti-Corruption Party or PAC [Marlene ALVARENGA] Christian Democratic Party or DC [Lucas AGUILERA] Democratic Unification Party or UD [Alfonso DIAZ] Honduran Patriotic Alliance or AP [Romeo VASQUEZ Velasquez] Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Guillermo VALLE]Liberal Party or PL [Yani Benjamin ROSENTHAL Hidalgo] Liberty and Refoundation Party or LIBRE [Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales]National Party of Honduras or PNH [Reinaldo SANCHEZ Rivera] Opposition Alliance against the Dictatorship or Alianza de Oposicion contra la Dictadura [Salvador NASRALLA] (electoral coalition)Savior Party of Honduras or PSH [Salvador Alejandro Cesar NASRALLA Salum]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

sugarcane, oil palm fruit, milk, bananas, maize, coffee, melons, oranges, poultry, beans

Budget

expenditures

5.283 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

4.658 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

B1 (2017)

Standard & Poors rating

BB- (2017)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$587 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$380 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$8.722 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$9.137 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

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

currency

lempiras (HNL) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

21.137 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

22.098 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

22.995 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

22.995 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

23.74 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$7.14 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$7.16 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing and apparel, coffee, insulated wiring, bananas, palm oil (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 53%, El Salvador 8%, Guatemala 5%, Nicaragua 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

43.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption

13.8% (2017 est.)

household consumption

77.7% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-58.9% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.1% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.7% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

14.2% (2017 est.)

industry

28.8% (2017 est.)

services

57% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$25.145 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2009

45.7 (2009)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

52.1 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

38.4% (2014)

lowest 10%

1.2%

Imports

Imports 2018

$11.78 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$11.5 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, clothing and apparel, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, insulated wiring (2019)

Imports - partners

United States 42%, China 10%, Guatemala 8%, El Salvador 8%, Mexico 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

4.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

3.9% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

4.3% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

4.3% (2019 est.)

Labor force

3.735 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

39.2%

industry

20.9%

services

39.8% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

48.3% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

38.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

39.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$54.46 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$55.91 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$50.89 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

3.8% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

3.8% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

4.8% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$5,700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$5,700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$5,100 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$3.814 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$4.708 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

20.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: about one-third of the people are underemployed

Unemployment rate 2016

6.3% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

5.6% (2017 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

27.7% (2020 est.)

male

11.1%

total

17.8%

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

7.22 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

536 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

40% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

25% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

34% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

195 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

2.546 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

8.501 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

68% (2019)

electrification - total population

81% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

91% (2019)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

59,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

12,870 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

56,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4 (2020 est.)

total

396,454 (2020)

Broadcast media

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

.hn

Internet users

percent of population

31.7% (2019 est.)

total

3.81 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

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 73 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

among the poorest countries in Central America, Honduras has a neglected telecom sector complicated by political stalemate and geographic challenges; mobile subscribership is growing; DSL and cable Internet available in urban areas but expensive; government proposed ICT master plan to boost e-government and business, including free Internet to households; US based network ready to deploy 5G (2020)

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)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5.37 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

531,763 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

70.28 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

6,960,654 (2020)

Airports

total

103 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

2,438 to 3,047 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

4

total

13

under 914 m

3 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

16

total

90

under 914 m

73 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

HR

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, general cargo 244, oil tanker 82, other 178 (2021)

total

505

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

450,000 mt-km (2018)

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)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela

Railways

narrow gauge

164 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

note

115 km 1.057-m gauge420 km 0.914-m gauge

total

699 km (2014)

Roadways

note

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

paved

3,367 km (2012)

total

14,742 km (2012)

unpaved

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

Waterways

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

Military - note

the armed forces, including the PMOP, are subordinate to the Secretariat of Defense, while the HNP reports to the Secretariat of Security; the National Interinstitutional Security Force is an interagency command that coordinates the overlapping responsibilities of the HNP, PMOP, National Intelligence Directorate, and Public Ministry (public prosecutor), but exercises coordination, command, and control responsibilities only during interagency operations involving those forces; as of 2021, civilian authorities at times reportedly did not maintain effective control over security forces

Military and security forces

Honduran Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, FFAA): Army (Ejercito), Honduran Naval Force (FNH; includes marines), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH), Honduran Public Order Military Police (PMOP); Security Secretariat: Public Security Forces (includes Honduran National Police paramilitary units) (2021)note - the PMOP was created in 2013 as part of an effort by the Honduran Government to expand the military’s role in law enforcement alongside the Honduran National Police (HNP), particularly against narcotics trafficking and organized crime; since its creation, the PMOP’s role in internal security has expanded; it was used against election protesters in 2017, for example, and it has been accused of human rights violations; as of 2021, the PMOP was composed of 8 battalions of military personnel (approximately 5,000 troops) who have undergone some police training; it reported to military authorities but conducts operations sanctioned by both civilian security officials and military leaders

note

note - the PMOP was created in 2013 as part of an effort by the Honduran Government to expand the military’s role in law enforcement alongside the Honduran National Police (HNP), particularly against narcotics trafficking and organized crime; since its creation, the PMOP’s role in internal security has expanded; it was used against election protesters in 2017, for example, and it has been accused of human rights violations; as of 2021, the PMOP was composed of 8 battalions of military personnel (approximately 5,000 troops) who have undergone some police training; it reported to military authorities but conducts operations sanctioned by both civilian security officials and military leaders

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Honduran Armed Forces (FFAA) have approximately 16,000 active personnel (7,500 Army; 1,500 Navy, including about 1,000 marines; 2,000 Air Force; 5,000 Public Order Military Police); approximately 18,000 National Police (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FFAA's inventory is comprised of mostly older imported equipment from Israel, the UK, and the US; since 2010, Honduras has received limited amounts of military equipment from several countries, including Colombia, Israel, Netherlands, Taiwan, and the US (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

1.7% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

1.7% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.6% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.6% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary 2- to 3-year military service; no conscription (2021)

Disputes - international

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

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

247,000 (violence, extortion, threats, forced recruitment by urban gangs between 2004 and 2018) (2020)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

9.81 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

7.72 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

20.12 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

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

Environment - 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

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

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.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

Major lakes (area sq km)

Salt water lake(s)

Laguna de Caratasca - 1,110 sq km

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.91% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

92.164 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.178 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

114 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

315 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

59% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,162,028 tons (2016 est.)