Honduras Economy News

Edgar Aguilar, an energy analyst at the ASJ (Foundation for the Study of Applied Law), says the National Congress's failure to advance an energy reform bill poses a direct fiscal risk to Honduras as the state utility ENEE continues to post multimillion-lempira losses.

The Oil Administrator Commission says Honduras could see further fuel-price cuts in the next two to three weeks if international market conditions hold, citing reduced Middle East tensions and progress on Iran-related peace accords.

A 2025 gender-gap report from Honduras's banking regulator shows women hold more savings accounts and certificates of deposit while men predominate in check and basic accounts, revealing distinct financial-product patterns by gender.

Honduras's merchandise exports reached $3.61 billion in the first three months of 2026, a 11.5% year-on-year increase driven by coffee, apparel manufacturing, bananas, and palm oil, according to an Inter-American Development Bank report.

At a job fair in Tegucigalpa, older workers reported facing age discrimination despite their experience and credentials, while hundreds of applicants across all demographics struggle with high unemployment and a shortage of formal-sector positions.

The Central Bank of Honduras sold $79.9 million in its June 18 foreign-exchange auction, setting the average exchange rate at L26.7074 per dollar for June 19.

The Central Bank of Honduras auctioned $94.6 million in its June 17 foreign-exchange tender, setting the weighted average exchange rate at L26.7040 per dollar for June 18.

An ASJ report finds that nearly 800,000 Honduran households skip at least one meal because of high living costs, with food cited as the hardest expense to cover by 41% of the population, even as macroeconomic indicators show moderate growth.

Honduras's business confidence index (ICAE) reached 63.8 points in May 2026, its highest level for that month in six years, continuing an upward trend through the first half of the year.

Demand for the Central Bank's short-term reverse-repurchase operations (RVG) continues falling as banks face greater system liquidity and higher relative costs, while interbank market trading (MED) grows as an alternative funding source.

International oil prices have fallen to around $82 per barrel, but energy sector representatives warn fuel prices in Honduras could take four to six months to reflect the decline due to exchange rates, import costs, and other market factors.

Jorge Hernández of the Social Forum on External Debt and Development says the International Monetary Fund has agreed to decouple discussion of Honduras's beneficial-ownership law from other conditions, a shift from prior administrations that tied its approval to broader negotiations.

Former Central American Bank president Dante Mossi says Honduras has approved no projects from a $1.6 billion (43 billion lempira) development portfolio offered by the regional bank this year, contrasting with Nicaragua and El Salvador's active borrowing for infrastructure projects.

Finance Vice Minister Lilian Rivera said international lending institutions' backing for state utility ENEE reforms could create opportunities for future financing to strengthen and modernize Honduras's power sector.

The Central Bank's analysts project Honduras's economy will grow 3.6% in 2026 and 3.8% in 2027, within the range set by the 2026–2027 monetary program.

Honduras's central bank forecasts year-over-year inflation of 4.98% by December 2026, declining to the bank's target range of 3.0%–5.0% by May 2028.

Deputy Finance Minister Liliam Rivera said the National Treasury faces critical strain from automatic debt payments linked to lawsuits from the prior administration, combined with obligations to multilateral lenders and a floating debt exceeding 24 billion lempiras (about $960 million).

President Nasry Asfura declared the state power company's financial losses and accumulated debt the country's chief economic concern, pledging to stabilize operations while keeping it publicly owned and freeing resources for health, education, and infrastructure.

The central bank's currency auction on June 15 allocated $78.9 million and established a weighted average exchange rate of L26.6920 per dollar for June 16.

Roberto Lagos, president of Honduras's central bank, says failure to approve an energy sector reform will perpetuate ENEE's structural problems, mounting debt, and operational losses, and has secured backing from international multilateral organizations.

Honduras's average import price for fuel climbed 24.2% month-over-month in April 2026, a slower pace than March's 32.9% increase, tracking crude-oil and derivative prices from the Gulf.

Former Liberal Party leader Yani Rosenthal says fallout from a foreign war has pushed Honduras's inflation beyond the Central Bank's target range, squeezing households and forcing the government to subsidize fuel and energy costs.

CREE commissioner Héctor Corrales said the agency's review of electricity tariffs reflects upward pressure from rising fuel prices, exchange-rate shifts, and increased energy demand.

North America leads Honduras's trade, with the United States alone accounting for 46.4% of exports, followed by Europe at 20.9% and Central America at 20.3%.

Honduras's merchandise exports grew 7.3% in the first half of 2026 compared with a year earlier, driven by higher volumes of coffee and bananas and improved international prices for gold and recycled products.

A consumer-advocacy group reported that at least 16 staple foods rose in price over the weekend, with beans reaching 120 lempiras (about $4.80) per measure and eggs up to 110 lempiras (about $4.40) per carton, alongside price increases in chayote, potatoes, peppers, and broccoli, blamed on weather, inflation, and Middle East conflicts.

Honduras's monthly economic activity index rose 3.5% in the first four months of 2026, driven by stronger agricultural-export sales and increased domestic consumption, the central bank reported.

A former head of Honduras's banking commission warned that new US requirements for remittance senders to prove legal status could cut the flow of family money—which topped $12 billion in 2025 and already exceeds $4.5 billion in 2026—potentially harming multiple sectors of the Honduran economy.

The Central Bank of Honduras auctioned $98.3 million in its foreign-exchange tender on June 16, establishing a weighted-average exchange rate of L26.6946 per dollar for June 17.

Honduras imported 2.99 million barrels of diesel in the first four months of 2026, the largest share and fastest-growing fuel, followed by bunker fuel and premium gasoline at 1.84 million and 1.83 million barrels respectively.