Country explorer: Honduras

Honduras has undergone significant economic changes reflected by gradual improvements in GDP per capita, shifting poverty thresholds, fluctuating unemployment rates, and varying inflation rates, similar to its regional peers but notable for its higher poverty reduction rates and inflation peaks compared to some Central American nations.

Honduras has experienced notable demographic shifts including consistent population growth, a sustained decrease in fertility rates from 4.2 children per woman in 2000 to 2.4 children per woman by 2022, a positive increase in life expectancy from 68.7 years in 2000 to 70.1 years in 2022, alongside a gradually decreasing net migration rate, suggesting an underlying societal transformation towards smaller families, increased longevity, and changing migration patterns, trends shared with its lower-middle-income country peers but with a distinctive lower net migration rate compared to its immediate neighbors.

Honduras has experienced gradual improvements in access to clean cooking fuels, electricity, and safely managed water and sanitation facilities, reflecting a slow but steady progression in meeting basic needs, which aligns with trends seen in other lower-middle-income countries.

Honduras has demonstrated modest yet steady progress in human development, marked by improvements in education, a decrease in child mortality rates, and slight advancements in literacy, positioning it as a nation incrementally advancing in line with its lower-middle-income peers.

Over the past two decades in Honduras, significant environmental and energy transformations include a noticeable pivot towards renewable energy sources, especially in hydro, solar, and wind, amidst fluctuating per capita CO2 emissions and a decline in per capita freshwater resources and forest area, reflecting broader regional trends towards sustainability yet confronting persistent environmental challenges.

Honduras has experienced significant technological progress, reflected by a notable increase in internet usage, mobile phone subscriptions, and a modest improvement in scientific output, indicating a trajectory similar to its regional peers but with distinctive challenges in boosting research and development spending.

Honduras has experienced a modest decline in gender inequality and age dependency ratio, along with a slight decrease in self-reported life satisfaction, mirroring patterns seen in other lower-middle-income countries, yet it stands out with a minimal share of the population born in another country, indicating lower levels of immigration compared to its regional neighbors.

Honduras has experienced a mix of gradual improvements and challenges in governance, evidenced by fluctuating scores in rule of law, corruption perception, and political civil liberties, with a concerning trend towards increased restrictions on press freedom, reflective of broader issues in governance that are not unique to Honduras but shared with its regional peers.