People and Society of Honduras

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.

Nationality

Noun: Honduran(s) Adjective: Honduran

Ethnic Groups

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

Population

10,432,860

Population (Male / Female)

Male: 4,591,247 Female: 4,937,941

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

Urban Population

Urban population: 60.2% of total population Rate of urbanization: 2.48% annual rate of change

Population in Major Urban Areas

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

Age Structure

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% (male 232,828/female 302,544)

Median Age

Total: 25.7 years Male: 24.8 years Female: 26.6 years

Sex Ratio at Birth

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