Capital

Honduras

name: Tegucigalpa; note - article eight of the Honduran constitution states that the twin cities of Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela, jointly, constitute the capital of the Republic of Honduras; however, virtually all governmental institutions are on the Tegucigalpa side, which in practical terms makes Tegucigalpa the capital

geographic coordinates: 14 06 N, 87 13 W

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

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

Citizenship

Honduras

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 1 to 3 years

Legal system

Honduras

civil law system

Suffrage

Honduras

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Area

Honduras

total: 112,090 sq km

land: 111,890 sq km

water: 200 sq km

Land use

Honduras

agricultural land: 28.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 15.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 45.3% (2018 est.)

other: 25.9% (2018 est.)

Location

Honduras

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

Age structure

Honduras

0-14 years: 27.92% (male 1,352,581/female 1,319,338)

15-64 years: 66.18% (male 3,050,008/female 3,283,949)

65 years and over: 5.91% (2023 est.) (male 249,241/female 316,235)

Birth rate

Honduras

20.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Honduras

5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Honduras

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

Honduras

total population: 71.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 68.4 years

female: 75.5 years

Major urban areas - population

Honduras

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

Median age

Honduras

total: 25.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 24.4 years

female: 26.2 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Honduras

20.3 years (2011/12 est.)

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

Net migration rate

Honduras

-1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Honduras

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

Honduras

1.28% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Honduras

2.37 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Honduras

urban population: 60.2% of total population (2023)

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

Education expenditures

Honduras

6.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Honduras

total: 10 years

male: 10 years

female: 11 years (2019)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Honduras

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

Industrial production growth rate

Honduras

20.05% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Honduras

4.314 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Honduras

48.3% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Honduras

8.51% (2021 est.)

8.37% (2020 est.)

5.7% (2019 est.)

note: about one-third of the people are underemployed

Public debt

Honduras

39.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

38.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Honduras

4.48% (2021 est.)

3.47% (2020 est.)

4.37% (2019 est.)

Exports

Honduras

$7.941 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$6.269 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$7.243 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Honduras

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

Imports

Honduras

$14.495 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$9.928 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$11.825 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Honduras

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

Airports

Honduras

103 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Honduras

total: 396,916 (2020)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Honduras

total: 4.8 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 48% (2021 est.)

Railways

Honduras

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

Roadways

Honduras

total: 14,742 km (2012)

paved: 3,367 km (2012)

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

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

Telephones - fixed lines

Honduras

total subscriptions: 465,521 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Honduras

total subscriptions: 7,560,710 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 74 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Honduras

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

Disputes - international

Honduras

Honduras-El Salvador: 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-Belize: Honduras claims the Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize in its constitution; in 2022, Belize instituted proceedings against Honduras concerning sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes