Browse Honduras Daily Stories

Honduras's net foreign reserves grew by $1.21 billion since January to reach $11.52 billion as of September 14, providing 6.6 months of import coverage, according to the Central Bank.

Dante Mossi, former BCIE president, called on Congress to review how the government has spent 2026 funds and clarify priorities before approving the 455-billion-lempira (about $18.2 billion) 2027 budget, citing concerns over electricity costs, health-sector management, and diesel inflation.

Honduras is projected to receive $13 billion in remittances by year-end 2026—a 20% increase from 2025—but economists warn the country's heavy dependence on this income leaves over 300,000 families vulnerable if the flow declines.

The National Statistics Institute reports that 38.3% of Honduran households lived in extreme poverty in 2025, a slight decline from 40.1% in 2024, though experts say job creation, investment, and reduced crime are needed to lift families out of poverty.

The Central Bank of Honduras auctioned $96.4 million in its September 16 currency sale, establishing a weighted average exchange rate of L26.8805 per dollar for September 17.

Honduras's banking regulator released its 2026 Financial Inclusion Report, highlighting growth in point-of-sale card readers and ATMs as key drivers of broader access to financial services across the country.

Darwin Ponce, head of Honduras's Artículo 19 consumer-protection association, disputed claims of a genuine fuel subsidy, saying the government has not disclosed which budget line funds it and rejected relying on foreign companies for short-term relief instead of pursuing futures purchases and a petroleum stabilization fund.

An analyst from the civil-society group ASJ says public investment is only 45–50% executed by September 2026, and cautions that next year's projected 457 billion lempira budget risks failing to address critical infrastructure gaps in water storage and electricity despite salary and debt increases.

The government raised its subsidy of diesel and regular-gasoline price increases from 50% to 65%, spending about 1.3 billion lempiras (roughly $50 million) to shield consumers and transport from Middle East conflict–driven oil volatility.

The National Agricultural Development Bank (Banadesa) faces overdue loans totaling nearly L3.8 billion—about 50% of its portfolio—including decades-old credits, limiting its financial sustainability and requiring a debt-recovery strategy.

Honduras's pension and housing fund RAP has L3.86 billion (about $155 million) available for home loans this year, with RAP director Juan Carlos Sikaffy saying the fund aims to broaden access to housing credit for affiliated workers.

Recent blackouts stem from multiple power plants not yet connected to the grid, a former ENEE manager said, while warning that extreme heat from a climate pattern called Super Niño and potential water shortages next year could worsen the energy crisis unless idle thermal and renewable units are brought online.

Honduras Central Bank auctioned $82.2 million in its weekly currency auction on September 14, setting the weighted average exchange rate at L26.8830 per dollar for September 15–16.

The Central Bank of Honduras reminds researchers that applications for the Juan Manuel Gálvez Socioeconomic Research Prize close on September 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

Diesel in Honduras reached an all-time high of 148.01 lempiras per gallon after nine consecutive weeks of increases, now exceeding the previous record for premium gasoline and pressuring prices across the economy.

The Asfura administration will submit the 2027 general budget of approximately 457 billion lempiras to Congress on September 14, with lawmakers aiming to approve it before year-end.

Former ENEE general manager Salomón Ordóñez warns that Honduras's largest hydroelectric reservoir has lost 50% of its generating capacity due to drought, with power-sector reform results expected in two to three years.

Honduras increased its temporary fuel subsidy from 50% to 65% to cushion households from rising global oil prices, with new fuel prices taking effect September 14 in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.

The Central Bank of Honduras auctioned $72.8 million in a currency sale on September 11, setting the weighted average exchange rate at L26.8833 per dollar for September 12–14.

The Central Bank forecasts annual inflation reaching 4.98% by December 2026, within its target range of 4.0% ± 1.0 percentage point, with further declines expected ahead.

More than 117,000 Honduran women are unemployed with a joblessness rate of 6.8%, nearly double the 3.7% rate for men, reflecting barriers women face in entering the formal labor market despite Labor Minister Fernando Puerto's claim they have greater presence once employed.

New blackouts struck multiple cities including Tegucigalpa on September 11 as the National Dispatch Center (CND) activated emergency measures to manage fuel shortages and forced outages, prompting experts to warn the crisis could worsen.

Finance Minister Emilio Hércules announced that IMF Director Nigel Chalk will lead a technical mission to Honduras to conduct the sixth review of the country's ongoing IMF program.

The official gazette published a salary increase of L1,200 (about $48) per month for central government employees, agreed between the government and three labor unions on August 26.

Honduran labor law requires employers to pay double salary to workers laboring on September 15 (Independence Day) and grant them a compensatory rest day during the same week.

Honduras's Energy Ministry announced price increases for all fuel types effective September 14, with premium gasoline and kerosene rising by up to L3.86 per gallon in Tegucigalpa and similar increases in San Pedro Sula, while domestic cooking gas remains subsidized.

Remittances to Honduras reached $9 billion in the first eight months of 2026, now equal to 30% of GDP, while foreign direct investment dropped to $881 million in 2025 and poverty remained at 60.1%, creating economic vulnerability, according to analysis by Consulting HNL director Efraín Farach.

The draft 2027 national budget totals 450.4 billion lempiras (about $18 billion), with debt service alone consuming roughly 74.6 billion lempiras (16%), while ten institutions account for about 75% of all spending.

The head of Honduras's petroleum agency says the government's temporary fuel subsidy for September is L33.46 per gallon this week.

Honduras's power regulator announced it has contracted two new fuel suppliers to help reduce nationwide electricity blackouts, a longstanding problem affecting the country's grid reliability.