Honduras

• 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

noun:

Honduran(s)

adjective:

Honduran

total:

26.1 years (2025 est.)

male:

24.8 years

female:

26.6 years

• 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

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:

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

total population:

73.1 years (2024 est.)

male:

69.6 years

female:

76.8 years

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.)

total:

11.9% (2025 est.)

male:

22.2% (2025 est.)

female:

1.6% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

9.2% (2019)

women married by age 18:

34% (2019)

men married by age 18:

10% (2019)

• 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

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.)

municipal:

315 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

114 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

1.178 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Honduras

conventional short form:

Honduras

local long form:

República 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

• 18 departments ( departamentos , singular - departamento );
• Atlántida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazán, Gracias a Dios, Intibucá, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro

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

citizenship by birth:

yes

citizenship by descent only:

yes

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

1 to 3 years

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

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

• 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

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé 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:

[email protected]; https://hn.usembassy.gov/

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

total World Heritage Sites:

2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

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

• 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

total:

10.5% (2024 est.)

male:

7.9% (2024 est.)

female:

15.9% (2024 est.)

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

on food:

31.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

4.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

1.1% (2023 est.)

highest 10%:

33% (2023 est.)

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

consumption:

144,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

148,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

20 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

71,000 bbl/day (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)

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

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

• 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)

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

refugees:

341 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

100,637 (2024 est.)