Honduras  

Honduran workers only have access to a low level of physical capital, ranking the country in the bottom quartile on this variable. At just over 4%, the unemployment rate is low, but the inflation rate is high at 7%. The domestic savings rate is less than 7% of GDP and household expenditure is also low at 23% of GDP, ranking the country in the bottom quartile on both variables. A moderate number of loans are in default in Honduras, and the interest margin, at over seven percentage points, ranks in the worst 15 worldwide. With 28% raw material export concentration, the country’s reliance on raw material exports is fairly severe. Honduras draws a decent foreign direct investment of 7% as a share of its GDP, indicating its relative attractiveness to foreign investors. Honduras’s ratio of export revenues as a capacity to import ranks the country inside the top 40, worldwide, suggesting a moderately high capacity to earn foreign currency.

There are 13 formal start up procedures required to start new businesses in Honduras, creating significant barriers to entry and ranking this country in the worst quintile on this variable. In terms of value added by workers in the service industry, Honduras ranks about average worldwide. Honduras performs slightly below the global average in terms of internet connectivity and security, with only 4.6 secure servers per million people. Although internet infrastructure ranks this country within the top 70, the availability of one personal computer per 50 people places this country in the bottom 15. Both ICT exports and high-tech exports, as a proportion of total exports, compare poorly, internationally, ranking the country in the lowest third on both variables. Honduras ranks around the global average in terms of royalty receipts but R&D expenditure is low at 0.2% of its GDP.

Hondurans enjoy high levels of both civil liberties and political rights. The government places some constraints on the executive power, meaning political rulers cannot simply make decisions without being subject to checks and balances. In Honduras, there is open political competition among rival parties for the office of chief executive, and electoral processes are open and well regulated for executive election. The political system enables the presence of, and competition among, multiple rival parties in the legislative branch, but the judiciary is subservient to other branches of government. Honduras ranks in the top 40 worldwide for regime stability, with over 20 years since the last fundamental change in the political system.

Honduras scores well on primary education enrolment rates, with 96% of primary age children in school and near gender equal enrolment at this level. However, with a ratio of one teacher for every 28 pupils, there are comparatively few teachers in primary schools. Secondary and tertiary enrolment rates are also below average, with 76% and 17% of the population enrolled, respectively, placing Honduras in the bottom third, globally, on these variables. These low enrolment rates are reflected in low average years of secondary and tertiary schooling per worker, which place Honduras within the bottom 30 countries on both variables.

There are only six medical professionals and 10 hospital beds per 10,000 people, ranking the country in the bottom third on both variables. Health-adjusted life expectancy is also below average at 58 years, while nearly one-quarter of all Hondurans are undernourished. The infant mortality rate is also fairly high, with 24 deaths per 1,000 live births. Two-thirds of Hondurans have access to improved sanitation facilities, and three-quarters are satisfied with their quality of water, both average numbers internationally.* Despite these low figures, 87% of Hondurans are happy with their level of general health, ranking the country inside the top 20 on this variable. Roughly one in five have ongoing health problems while a quarter complain about experiencing protracted pain.* However, an extraordinary three-quarters consider themselves well rested, ranking Honduras 12th on this variable.*

Honduras has some security challenges related, refugees and internally displaced individuals, and more significant problems related to group grievances and human flight. There have been recorded instances of the Honduran government engaging in practices such as torture and political imprisonment of its own citizens, ranking the country in the bottom third on this variable. However, crime rates are also generally high; while only one in every six citizens reported having property stolen in 2008, Honduras’s murder rate is among the 10 highest of all countries and 15% of citizens reported having been assaulted in 2008, the fifth highest proportion worldwide.* Unsurprisingly, only half of respondents indicated that they felt safe walking the streets at night.

Rule of law is weak in Honduras, leading to a very low international ranking of 87th on this variable. A low 39% of Hondurans have confidence in their court system, and less than half have confidence in the country’s armed forces, ranking the country in the lowest quintile.*The quality of regulation of economic activity in the country is about average, but the efficiency of the governmental bureaucracy is poor, ranking the country 78th, globally. Despite political participation being rated as very free and fair in Honduras, less than a third of all citizens have confidence in the honesty of the country’s elections, placing Honduras in the bottom 20, internationally.* Around 85% of respondents believe there is widespread corruption among local businesses and governmental organisations, giving Honduras an average global ranking on both these variables.

Hondurans have high levels of freedom to practise their religious beliefs, speak freely without fear of government censorship, and travel freely within and out of their own country. An average number of Hondurans are satisfied with their freedom of choice, but the country fares poorly on tolerance variables.* Only 62% of Hondurans believe their neighbourhood is a good place for ethnic minorities, while less than half of people believe their neighbourhood is a good place for immigrants, ranking the country in the bottom 10 on this latter variable.*

More than four in five Hondurans feel they can rely on their family and friends, and nearly half reported having helped a stranger the month leading up to the survey in 2008.* Volunteering and donation rates are high, with 41% donating to charitable organisations and 30% volunteering their time, ranking Honduras 28th and 16th, respectively, on these variables.* Honduras is also among the 25 most religious countries in the world, with over three-quarters of citizens reporting that religion was an important part in their daily lives, suggesting widespread access to religious support networks.* Data on group membership and social trust were unavailable for Honduras.

* Data taken from the Gallup World Poll

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