Destinations › Central America · The Destination Index · universal template · every figure sourced
Honduras.
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua. 112,090 sq km and 11,005,850 people, 823 km of coastline, subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains.
Region · Central AmericaPopulation · ~11,005,850Languages · Spanish, Garifuna, Miskito, Lenca, Bay Islands EnglishEco Index · 68/100 · Passable
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Conservation
Wildlife
Water
Food & farming
Organic & clean
Climate & energy
Waste
Health
Heritage
Ownership
Governance
Future
The History of Honduras.
Honduras holds rich living heritage across Garifuna, Lenca, Maya Chortí and mestizo communities. The Garifuna keep a distinct language, punta dance and drumming, and the dügü, an ancestral ceremony that calls on the spirits of forebears, recognised by UNESCO.
Where the name comes from
Spanish for 'depths', for the deep water off the coast. Source: national and regional toponymic records.
The land itself: mountainous through the interior, with narrow plains along both coasts. Its high point is Cerro Las Minas, 2,870 m. Source: national mapping and survey records.
Where it starts
Copan, and the longest text in the Maya world
Maya communities in the west were making ceramics between 2000 and 900 BC. Copan became a major Classic Maya centre between AD 250 and 900, and its hieroglyphic stairway carries around 2,200 glyphs naming the city's rulers, the longest known text anywhere in the Maya world. Lenca, Pech, Tolupan and Miskito peoples held the centre, east and north coast with distinct languages and territories, several of which survive today.
How it got here
Punta Gorda, 12 April 1797
About 2,000 Garifuna survivors of the deportation from St Vincent were landed at Punta Gorda on Roatan on 12 April 1797, and permitted to establish villages. From there Garifuna communities spread along the Caribbean coast, where they remain. Independence from Spain came in 1821, and through the twentieth century foreign fruit companies took control of much of the north coast economy and its politics.
The timeline
2000 to 900 BC
The Preclassic.
Maya communities in the west develop ceramics and settled agriculture, while Lenca and other peoples occupy the centre and south. ↗
AD 250 to 900
Copan.
Copan becomes a major Classic Maya centre, its dynasty recorded in stone across the site. ↗
AD 700s
The hieroglyphic stairway.
Copan's hieroglyphic stairway carries around 2,200 glyphs naming the city's rulers. It is the longest known text in the Maya world. ↗
Before 1500
Lenca, Pech, Tolupan and Miskito.
Peoples across the centre, east and north coast maintain distinct languages and territories, several of which survive today. ↗
1502
European contact.
A Spanish expedition reaches the Caribbean coast in 1502, on the fourth voyage of Columbus. The Bay Islands and the mainland coast were the first landfall, and Trujillo became one of the earliest mainland settlements in the Americas. ↗
12 April 1797
The Garifuna land at Roatan.
About 2,000 Garifuna survivors of the deportation from St Vincent are landed at Punta Gorda on Roatan and permitted to establish villages. ↗
1800s
The Garifuna coast.
Garifuna communities spread west and east along the Caribbean coast from Roatan, and remain there today. ↗
1821
Independence from Spain.
Honduras becomes independent, later leaving the Federal Republic of Central America. ↗
1900s
The banana economy.
Foreign fruit companies take control of large parts of the north coast economy and its politics. ↗
Protected areas cover 23.4% of the land (World Bank, 2024) and 4.6% of territorial waters (World Bank, 2021), including reef parks around the Bay Islands and the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve. Enforcement is patchy and deforestation is among the region's fastest, so real protection lags the figures.
Is wild Honduras protected? 23% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Honduras?
Forest cover56.5%
Terrestrial protected area23.4%
Marine protected area4.58%
312 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
Recorded in Honduras and named in the open record. Endemic status is stated per species, not implied by this list.
Amphibians of the cloud forests
Am
Scarlet macaw as national bird
Sc
Whale sharks gathering off Utila
Wh
The watchlist
ThreatenedYellow-naped Amazon (Amazona auropalliata)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Honduras in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedHawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Honduras in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedSwamper (Ctenosaura bakeri)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Honduras in GBIF occurrence data (reptile).
ThreatenedElkhorn coral (Acropora palmata)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Honduras in GBIF occurrence data (coral).
ThreatenedHamlet (Epinephelus striatus)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Honduras in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedFire coral (Millepora complanata)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Honduras in GBIF occurrence data (coral).
ThreatenedMarisora roatanaeCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Honduras in GBIF occurrence data (reptile).
ThreatenedAnolis bicaorumCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Honduras in GBIF occurrence data (reptile).
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Honduras. GBIF holds 23 verified occurrence records.
Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Honduras. GBIF holds 49 verified occurrence records.
Swamper (Ctenosaura bakeri)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Honduras. GBIF holds 35 verified occurrence records.
Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Honduras. GBIF holds 78 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Honduras filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
National park in Atlántida, mapped and named in the open record for Honduras. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Honduras.
Rivers draining the central highlands and Lago de Yojoa, the largest natural lake, give reasonable supply, but the southern dry corridor sees recurring drought. About 66% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe for visitors.
Does Honduras have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
65.5% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Coverage is well short of universal, so a visitor should not assume the tap is safe.
Cleanest water: The clear reef waters around the Bay Islands of Roatan, Utila and Guanaja
How much fresh water does Honduras have, per person?
8,664 m³
Honduras
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Honduras withdraws about 1,607 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 4.6% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as no water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 73%, homes and towns 20%, industry 7%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on Honduras beaches?
✕Tap water: Not drinkable.
✕Plastic rules: No national ban; the Bay Islands municipalities restrict single use plastics and polystyrene.
✕Solo travel: rated take care on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 4.58% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
How is the sea around Honduras doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Caribbean hurricane season Jun–Nov; the Bay Islands have a dry mini-season Feb–Apr.
Nearshore
Protected water
4.58% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
The clear reef waters around the Bay Islands of Roatan, Utila and Guanaja.
The record
Measured
Rivers draining the central highlands and Lago de Yojoa, the largest natural lake, give reasonable supply, but the southern dry corridor sees recurring drought. About 66% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe for visitors.
Sea protected
4.58%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
312 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Cleanest water
here
The clear reef waters around the Bay Islands of Roatan, Utila and Guanaja.
Is the tap water safe in Honduras?
65.5% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 8,664 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 0 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 1.8% of what Honduras renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Honduras? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
.
How much fresh water does Honduras actually have?
Nature renews about 8,664 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Honduras 151 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the wetter half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Honduras is a major agricultural exporter, leading Central America in coffee and growing bananas, palm oil and basic grains, yet it still imports staple cereals. Maize, beans, plantain and cassava underpin a mostly home grown everyday diet, and forest covers about 56% of the country (World Bank, 2022).
Where does the food in Honduras come from?
19.5% imported
about US$3,628m a year
On the plate: Baleadas or bean filled tortillas, red beans, maize, plantain, cassava and rice
How often each food is on the plate
Share of people eating each one regularly. These overlap, so they do not add up to 100%.
Baleadas or bean filled tortillas60%
Red beans51%
Maize42%
Plantain33%
Cassava24%
Rice15%
2 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$3,628m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
About 19.5% of everything Honduras buys in from abroad is food, roughly 2 in every 10 imported items on the dock (2024, World Bank). Farming itself is 13.3% of the economy and 32% of the land is agricultural, of which 9.1% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in Honduras? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined47.7%
Diabetes5%
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 63.8%.
Can Honduras feed itself?
9.1%
Arable land
32.0%
Agricultural land
973,366
Farmers
2,515,529
Arable acres
13.3%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Coffee from November to March; basic grains through the rainy season
Feeding itself
Honduras is a major agricultural exporter, leading Central America in coffee and growing bananas, palm oil and basic grains, yet it still imports staple cereals. Maize, beans, plantain and cassava underpin a mostly home grown everyday diet, and forest covers about 56% of the country (World Bank, 2022).
Certification
About 2.0% of agricultural land is certified organic (FiBL, 2020), much of it shade coffee and cacao, placing Honduras in the middle band.
Water for crops
Rivers draining the central highlands and Lago de Yojoa, the largest natural lake, give reasonable supply, but the southern dry corridor sees recurring drought. About 66% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe for visitors.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certified-organic farmland is not separately reported for Honduras, and that is a certification gap rather than proof nothing is grown cleanly. What the official land record does show: 32% of the country is agricultural land and 9.1% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Honduras are sugarcane, oil palm fruit, maize, palm oil and bananas (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Is this grown in Honduras?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
Baleadas or bean filled tortillasRed beansMaizePlantainCassavaRice
.
Baleadas or bean filled tortillasRed beansMaizePlantainCassavaRice
Honduras generates roughly half of its electricity from renewables, about 52 per cent in 2023, drawing on hydropower, a large solar build out, wind and biomass, with the balance from fuel oil and coal. Per person emissions are very low at 1.19 tonnes of CO2 in 2024. The country has a nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement and has rapidly expanded solar capacity since the mid 2010s. The score sits at 4 rather than 5 because thermal fuel oil and coal still supply close to half of generation.
What powers Honduras?
Renewable 55.5%Fossil 44.6%
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
1.14 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
1.14 tonnes
The grid
Honduras generates roughly half of its electricity from renewables, about 52 per cent in 2023, drawing on hydropower, a large solar build out, wind and biomass, with the balance from fuel oil and coal. Per person emissions are very low at 1.19 tonnes of CO2 in 2024.
Pollution
The PM2.5 annual mean sits around 21 micrograms per cubic metre (IQAir, 2023), well above WHO guidance and worsened by agricultural and forest fire smoke. There is no national plastic ban, only Bay Islands restrictions, and litter is common on the mainland.
Water stress
Rivers draining the central highlands and Lago de Yojoa, the largest natural lake, give reasonable supply, but the southern dry corridor sees recurring drought. About 66% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe for visitors.
What pollutes most here
1The gridThe share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.38%
2IndustryOpen pit mining and African palm plantations linked to deforestation and land conflict.named
3AirModelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.21
4On the recordThe PM2.5 annual mean sits around 21 micrograms per cubic metre (IQAir, 2023), well above WHO guidance and worsened by agricultural and forest fire smoke.
What has Honduras promised on climate?
Electricity renewable today64.6% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target23% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target4.9% by 2025
Measured on delivery, 64.6% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 35.4% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year1.14 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy3.23 t CO2e
Dubai return, economy2.53 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy2.48 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy2.38 t CO2e
Frankfurt return, economy1.66 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Honduras emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Honduras.
Data centres
1
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
55.5 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in Honduras?
A machine here runs mostly on renewables, but not entirely.
Renewable 55.5%Fossil 44.5%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 64.6% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Honduras has 1 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Tegucigalpa (1), alongside 3 internet exchanges (IXP-HN, PIT Honduras, IXP LATAM). Named sites include Navégalo Data Center Honduras (HN1).
Where the cables land. 3 landing points · Puerto Cortes, Puerto Lempira, Trujillo
83% residents to 17% visitors across a year. 2,315,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 11,005,850 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Honduras
669k
Visitors a year
0.1
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Honduras?· for every $100 Honduras earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 1990 peak
$ 236The worst year on the IMF record. Honduras owed $236 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 1990signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 44What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 34The IMF's own forecast has this falling to $34 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Honduras earns in a year, it owes $44 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Honduras?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 2,315,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 11,005,850 residents, one visitor a year for every 5 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play
2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Honduras is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published
3
The plate
Food is 19.5% of everything Honduras imports (2024, World Bank), so a large part of every restaurant bill is paid to a supplier abroad. Eating what the land here actually grows, sugarcane, oil palm fruit, maize, bananas, coffee, cantaloupes/melons, oranges, beans, keeps that money with the grower.
sails in
4
The power
64.6% of the electricity is renewable (2021, World Bank), so the energy on the bill is mostly generated inside the country rather than shipped in.
made at home
5
What actually stays
On the parts that can be measured, the plate leaves and the power stays. It is genuinely a coin toss, decided by what you book.
split
6
Pay the bank first
Honduras owes $44 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$44 per $100
7
A spread hand
The largest single export, coffee, tea and spices, is 20.9% of the total (2023, UN Comtrade). No one shock can take the whole board.
top export 20.9%
8
Community chest
Tourism earns 3% of everything Honduras makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
3% of exports
9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Singapore a return economy seat is 3.23 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
3.23 t CO2
10
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$42 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$42bn
GDPUS$39.6bn
Agriculture, share of GDP13.3%
Visitors a year669,000
Visitors per resident0.1
Residents~11,005,850
Agriculture
Farming is 13.3% of the economy. Honduras is a major agricultural exporter, leading Central America in coffee and growing bananas, palm oil and basic grains, yet it still imports staple cereals.
Natural materials
Living crafts include junco palm weaving of hats and baskets, cotton textiles and Garifuna craftwork, alongside the better known Lenca pottery. Natural fibre traditions persist but are less prominent than in neighbouring Guatemala.
Energy
Honduras generates roughly half of its electricity from renewables, about 52 per cent in 2023, drawing on hydropower, a large solar build out, wind and biomass, with the balance from fuel oil and coal. Per person emissions are very low at 1.19 tonnes of CO2 in 2024.
Who owns the biggest hotels in Honduras?
By rooms · company records and press.
TranquilSeas Eco Lodge · ~7 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
20152,093k
20162,228k
20172,144k
20182,323k
20192,315k
2020669k
International tourism receipts run at about US$0.19 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 3% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
All-inclusive resortForeign-owned hotel and tourist restaurantsLocally owned stay and local restaurantsGuesthouse, markets and public transport
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking baleadas or bean filled tortillas, red beans, maize, plantain, cassava and rice over imported menus. The checked list →
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays. Eco tours →
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays →
4. Use the transport residents use Intercity buses on the mainland, with ferries and small flights to the Bay Islands
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
swipe →
First time here
Honduras still holds more than half its land under forest and guards a share of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, but grain dependence, weak recycling and personal safety concerns temper the picture.
Best time: Dry season, December to April
Getting around
Intercity buses on the mainland, with ferries and small flights to the Bay Islands
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate that actually grows here is sugarcane, oil palm fruit, maize, bananas, coffee, cantaloupes/melons, oranges and beans. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cash-heavy; Lempira. Cards in hotels and dive shops.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
TranquilSeas Eco Lodge
.
Who owns the place to stay
TranquilSeas Eco LodgeIndependent · 7 rooms
The one property listed here does not publish who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Honduras.
How well is Honduras actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Honduras scores 36 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That matters here because every pledge on this page is only as good as the machinery meant to deliver it.
How well is Honduras run? · each scored out of 100, higher is better
Clean government, scored 23 of 100
Control of corruption scores 22.7 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is in the bottom quarter of governments measured.
23
Freedom and rights, scored 45 of 100
Voice and accountability, which measures free expression, free media and the ability to choose a government, scores 45.4 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Citizens have some room to question their government.
45
Government effectiveness, scored 39 of 100
Government effectiveness, which measures the quality of public services and how well policy is actually delivered, scores 39.3 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Delivery is rated below average, so a pledge on paper is not the same as a pledge kept.
39
Income equality, scored 46 of 100
The Gini index of income inequality reads 45.7 (2024, World Bank). Zero is perfect equality and 100 is one person holding everything. Above 40 is the level usually treated as socially strained, and Honduras sits above it.
46
LGBTQ+ status: LowSolo female travel: Take care88.3% adult literacyIndustry to avoid: Open pit mining and African palm plantations linked to deforestation and land conflict
What is daily life in Honduras really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Intercity buses on the mainland, with ferries and small flights to the Bay Islands
✓Air quality, measured Modelled annual mean 21. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³.
✓Where the air is cleanest Cloud forest highlands such as Celaque and Cusuco national parks
·Tap water Not drinkable
✓What to drink Drink bottled; the Bay Islands depend on rainwater catchments so ration carefully.
✓Plastic rules No national ban; the Bay Islands municipalities restrict single use plastics and polystyrene
✓Sockets and voltage Type A/B, 120V
88.3%
literacy. Public spending on education runs at 4.5% of GDP and 23.2% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment stands at 51.8% gross (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2018 to 2024).
Made in Honduras.
Living crafts include junco palm weaving of hats and baskets, cotton textiles and Garifuna craftwork, alongside the better known Lenca pottery. Natural fibre traditions persist but are less prominent than in neighbouring Guatemala. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Honduras actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Honduras sells the world is coffee, tea and spices, 20.9% of all exports in 2023 (about US$1.50 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are electrical machinery and electronics at 18.7%, animal and vegetable fats and oils at 8.5%, fish and seafood at 5.5%, fruit and nuts at 5.4%.
Sells now · 20.9% of exports
Coffee, tea and spices
Coffee, tea and spices is 20.9% of everything Honduras sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$1.50 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 18.7% of exports
Electrical machinery and electronics
Electrical machinery and electronics is 18.7% of everything Honduras sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$1.34 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 8.5% of exports
Animal and vegetable fats and oils
Animal and vegetable fats and oils is 8.5% of everything Honduras sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$0.61 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 5.5% of exports
Fish and seafood
Fish and seafood is 5.5% of everything Honduras sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$0.39 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 5.4% of exports
Fruit and nuts
Fruit and nuts is 5.4% of everything Honduras sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$0.38 billion. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 18.1% of imports
Mineral fuels and oils
Honduras imported US$2.60 billion of mineral fuels and oils in 2023, 18.1% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 10.4% of imports
Vehicles
Honduras imported US$1.50 billion of vehicles in 2023, 10.4% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 7.3% of imports
Machinery and mechanical appliances
Honduras imported US$1.05 billion of machinery and mechanical appliances in 2023, 7.3% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 5.4% of imports
Pharmaceuticals
Honduras imported US$0.77 billion of pharmaceuticals in 2023, 5.4% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Honduras produces about US$40 billion a year, which is roughly US$3,598 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 13.3% of that, while food is 19.5% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 9.1% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
A living tradition of Honduras, still practised rather than archived.
Drumming
A living tradition of Honduras, still practised rather than archived.
Garifuna dügü ancestral ceremony
A living tradition of Honduras, still practised rather than archived.
Language (UNESCO)
A living tradition of Honduras, still practised rather than archived.
Lenca Guancasco reconciliation riteA living tradition of Honduras, still practised rather than archived.
PotteryA living tradition of Honduras, still practised rather than archived.
Does Honduras protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Honduras holds rich living heritage across Garifuna, Lenca, Maya Chortí and mestizo communities. The Garifuna keep a distinct language, punta dance and drumming, and the dügü, an ancestral ceremony that calls on the spirits of forebears, recognised by UNESCO. Lenca communities maintain the Guancasco, a reconciliation rite between towns, alongside traditional pottery.
Who it belongs to. Living Lenca, Garifuna, Miskito and Maya Chorti communities keep distinct languages and traditions, and Garifuna coastal villages run their own tourism. Benefits are uneven, with the Bay Islands leaning towards a resort model.
Only here. Copan, the Maya city famed for the finest hieroglyphic stairway in the Maya world.
Three futures for Honduras, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Exit to the museum (Copán Ruinas), Lancetilla Botanical Garden (Tela). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: Detalles lencas y mas, IMAPRO, Luv Crafts.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
-9%
Forest cover
1995: 61.5 % → 2023: 56.3 %
+5%
Renewable electricity
1995: 61.3 % → 2021: 64.6 %
+72%
CO2 per person
1995: 0.66 t → 2024: 1.14 t
+147%
Tourist arrivals
1996: 271 k → 2020: 669 k
+8%
Protected land
2013: 21.2 % → 2025: 23 %
-19%
Farm workforce
1995: 27.7 % → 2025: 22.4 %
+880%
Protected sea
2013: 0.5 % → 2025: 4.9 %
+3%
Agricultural land
1995: 31.1 % → 2023: 32 %
+38%
Urban population
1995: 42.9 % → 2025: 59.3 %
-16%
Air pollution
1995: 36.7 µg/m³ → 2023: 30.7 µg/m³
-45%
Fresh water per person
1995: 15795.4 m³ → 2022: 8664.1 m³
+63%
Adult overweight
1995: 39.2 % → 2022: 63.8 %
+44%
Electricity access
1995: 66.1 % → 2024: 95.5 %
+342%
GDP per person
1995: 814 → 2025: 3598
+92%
Population
1995: 5740 k → 2025: 11006 k
-27%
Renewable energy use
1995: 63 % → 2021: 45.9 %
+21%
Energy per person
1995: 492.1 kg → 2023: 593.6 kg
+48%
Protected area, total
2013: 7.5 % → 2025: 11.1 %
+9%
Life expectancy
1995: 66.9 yrs → 2024: 73 yrs
+23%
Cereal yield
1995: 1540 ha → 2023: 1887 ha
+238%
Fertiliser use
1995: 55.6 ha → 2023: 188 ha
-29%
Rural population
1995: 57.1 % → 2025: 40.8 %
+98%
Water productivity
2003: 8.2 $/m3 → 2022: 16.2 $/m3
+23%
Health spending
2000: 6.27 % → 2023: 7.71 %
-9%
Forest area
1995: 68830 km2 → 2023: 62964 km2
+114%
Electric power use
1995: 351.9 kWh → 2023: 752.1 kWh
+33%
Emissions: Agriculture
1990: 5.69 e → 2023: 7.57 e
+17%
Emissions: Building
1990: 1.66 e → 2023: 1.94 e
+10200%
Emissions: Electricity/Heat
1990: 0.04 e → 2023: 4.12 e
+262%
Emissions: Energy
1990: 3.6 e → 2023: 12.9 e
+447%
Emissions: Industrial Processes
1990: 0.3 e → 2023: 1.64 e
+81%
Emissions: Manufacturing/Construction
1990: 0.78 e → 2023: 1.41 e
+393%
Emissions: Transportation
1990: 1.07 e → 2023: 5.27 e
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 61.5% to 56.3% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 61.3% to 64.6% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 0.7 t to 1.1 t across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 271k to 669k across 24 recorded years.
World Bank ST.INT.ARVL
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 21.2% to 23.0% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.LND.PTLD.ZS
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 27.7% to 22.4% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 0.5% to 4.9% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 31.1% to 32.0% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 42.9% to 59.3% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 36.7 µg/m³ to 30.7 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 15795.4 m³ to 8664.1 m³ across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.H2O.INTR.PC
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 39.2% to 63.8% across 27 recorded years.
World Bank SH.STA.OWAD.ZS
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 66.1% to 95.5% across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 814 to 3598 across 30 recorded years.
World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 5740k to 11006k across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.POP.TOTL
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 63% to 45.9% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 492.06 kg to 593.63 kg across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 7.5% to 11.1% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 66.92 yrs to 73.04 yrs across 29 recorded years.
World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 1540 kg/ha to 1887 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.YLD.CREL.KG
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 55.56 kg/ha to 187.97 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.CON.FERT.ZS
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 57.14% to 40.75% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 8.16 $/m3 to 16.16 $/m3 across 19 recorded years.
World Bank ER.GDP.FWTL.M3.KD
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 6.27% to 7.71% across 23 recorded years.
World Bank SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 68830 km2 to 62964 km2 across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.K2
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 351.94 kWh to 752.1 kWh across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 5.69 to 7.57 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 1.66 to 1.94 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 0.04 to 4.12 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 3.56 to 12.87 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 0.3 to 1.64 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 0.78 to 1.41 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have transportation emissions moved?
Transportation emissions moved from 1.07 to 5.27 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, pollution at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
Current path
Every line above is a recorded World Bank series for this country. The current path is simply those series continuing at the pace already measured.
Computed from: recorded series, no policy change assumed
Best case
The pledges are met on their own stated timetables and the weakest pillars are lifted to match the strongest. Honduras already shows it can do this: heritage scores 5/5.
Computed from: each published target delivered on its own date
What the best case actually asks for
Lift pollution
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Honduras's record. The PM2.5 annual mean sits around 21 micrograms per cubic metre (IQAir, 2023), well above WHO guidance and worsened by agricultural and forest fire smoke. There is no national plastic ban, only Bay Islands restrictions, and litter is common on the mainland. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift recycling
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Honduras's record. Formal municipal recycling is minimal and most waste is landfilled, dumped or burned, with an informal sector recovering some materials. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift conservation
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Honduras's record. Protected areas cover 23.4% of the land (World Bank, 2024) and 4.6% of territorial waters (World Bank, 2021), including reef parks around the Bay Islands and the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve. Enforcement is patchy and deforestation is among the region's fastest, so real protection lags the figures. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Honduras.
Who is in charge of Honduras now · office-holders and institutions as published by the state itself; scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024
Iris Xiomara Castro de Zelaya
President
Iris Xiomara Castro de Zelaya is the head of government of Honduras, in office since 27 January 2022. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government: 45.4 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Control of corruption: 22.7 / 100. In the bottom quarter measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Political stability and absence of violence: 56.2 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Rule of law: 36.7 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Regulatory quality: 45 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Iris Xiomara Castro de ZelayaPresident
National Congress (Congreso Nacional)Legislature, unicameral
Next election25 November 2029
Last election30 November 2025
Constitutioncurrent text dates from 1982
Government typepresidential republic
Honduras national goals: what has been pledged, and how far it has got · each pledge measured against this country's own recorded delivery
2030
30% of land protected
! close
Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by more than 190 parties in December 2022. Honduras currently protects 23.4% of its land, which is 78% of the way to the pledge. ↗
2030
30% of sea protected
✕ far behind
The marine half of the same 30x30 pledge. Honduras currently protects 4.58% of its territorial waters, which is 15% of the way there. ↗
2030
Paris Agreement pledge
on record
Honduras has a Nationally Determined Contribution lodged with the UNFCCC. The registry holds the current text, its target year and the sectors it covers. ↗
Plastic policy
no national ban
No national ban; the Bay Islands municipalities restrict single use plastics and polystyrene.
Grid, as it stands
62% renewable
Recorded renewable share of electricity output, the number every energy pledge is measured against. ↗
Plain Answers About Honduras.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
swipe →
Is Honduras sustainable?
Honduras scores 68 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. Honduras still holds more than half its land under forest and guards a share of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, but grain dependence, weak recycling and personal safety concerns temper the picture.
Is the water in Honduras safe and plentiful?
Rivers draining the central highlands and Lago de Yojoa, the largest natural lake, give reasonable supply, but the southern dry corridor sees recurring drought. About 66% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe for visitors.
Can Honduras feed itself?
Honduras is a major agricultural exporter, leading Central America in coffee and growing bananas, palm oil and basic grains, yet it still imports staple cereals. Maize, beans, plantain and cassava underpin a mostly home grown everyday diet, and forest covers about 56% of the country (World Bank, 2022).
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Honduras?
Everyday eating centres on baleadas, red beans, maize tortillas, plantain, cassava and rice, an accessible plant based staple set, with meat and seafood added on the coast. Fresh tropical produce is cheap and everywhere.
How much of Honduras is actually protected?
Protected areas cover 23.4% of the land (World Bank, 2024) and 4.6% of territorial waters (World Bank, 2021), including reef parks around the Bay Islands and the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve. Enforcement is patchy and deforestation is among the region's fastest, so real protection lags the figures.
What wildlife is left in Honduras?
The Bay Islands sit on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef with year round whale sharks off Utila, while cloud forests such as Cusuco hold endemic amphibians and reptiles, and the scarlet macaw is the national bird. Diversity is high and endemism moderate.
Is Honduras on clean energy?
Honduras generates roughly half of its electricity from renewables, about 52 per cent in 2023, drawing on hydropower, a large solar build out, wind and biomass, with the balance from fuel oil and coal. Per person emissions are very low at 1.19 tonnes of CO2 in 2024. The country has a nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement and has rapidly expanded solar capacity since the mid 2010s.
How polluted is Honduras?
The PM2.5 annual mean sits around 21 micrograms per cubic metre (IQAir, 2023), well above WHO guidance and worsened by agricultural and forest fire smoke. There is no national plastic ban, only Bay Islands restrictions, and litter is common on the mainland.
Does recycling work in Honduras?
Formal municipal recycling is minimal and most waste is landfilled, dumped or burned, with an informal sector recovering some materials.
Is the farming in Honduras organic?
About 2.0% of agricultural land is certified organic (FiBL, 2020), much of it shade coffee and cacao, placing Honduras in the middle band.
Are there natural materials and craft in Honduras?
Living crafts include junco palm weaving of hats and baskets, cotton textiles and Garifuna craftwork, alongside the better known Lenca pottery. Natural fibre traditions persist but are less prominent than in neighbouring Guatemala.
Is there living culture in Honduras?
Living Lenca, Garifuna, Miskito and Maya Chorti communities keep distinct languages and traditions, and Garifuna coastal villages run their own tourism. Benefits are uneven, with the Bay Islands leaning towards a resort model.
What heritage does Honduras keep alive?
Honduras holds rich living heritage across Garifuna, Lenca, Maya Chortí and mestizo communities. The Garifuna keep a distinct language, punta dance and drumming, and the dügü, an ancestral ceremony that calls on the spirits of forebears, recognised by UNESCO. Lenca communities maintain the Guancasco, a reconciliation rite between towns, alongside traditional pottery.
So is Honduras actually green? The measured answer
What is working: renewable electricity at 64.6%.
What is not: sea protected at 4.9% against a 30% mark.
Honduras sits 39 of 77 at 68/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking →
What is Honduras particularly good at?
✓Heritage, scored 5/5. Honduras holds rich living heritage across Garifuna, Lenca, Maya Chortí and mestizo communities. The Garifuna keep a distinct language, punta dance and drumming, and the dügü, an ancestral ceremony that calls on the spirits of forebears, recognised by UNESCO. Lenca communities maintain the Guancasco, a reconciliation rite between towns, alongside traditional pottery. Punta rock, marimba and the La Ceiba carnival keep music and dance alive in everyday and festival life.
✓Culture, scored 4/5. Living Lenca, Garifuna, Miskito and Maya Chorti communities keep distinct languages and traditions, and Garifuna coastal villages run their own tourism. Benefits are uneven, with the Bay Islands leaning towards a resort model.
✓Energy, scored 4/5. Honduras generates roughly half of its electricity from renewables, about 52 per cent in 2023, drawing on hydropower, a large solar build out, wind and biomass, with the balance from fuel oil and coal. Per person emissions are very low at 1.19 tonnes of CO2 in 2024. The country has a nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement and has rapidly expanded solar capacity since the mid 2010s. The score sits at 4 rather than 5 because thermal fuel oil and coal still supply close to half of generation.
Where does Honduras score worst?
✕Water, scored 3/5. Rivers draining the central highlands and Lago de Yojoa, the largest natural lake, give reasonable supply, but the southern dry corridor sees recurring drought. About 66% of people have safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe for visitors.
✕Pollution, scored 2/5. The PM2.5 annual mean sits around 21 micrograms per cubic metre (IQAir, 2023), well above WHO guidance and worsened by agricultural and forest fire smoke. There is no national plastic ban, only Bay Islands restrictions, and litter is common on the mainland.
✕Recycling, scored 2/5. Formal municipal recycling is minimal and most waste is landfilled, dumped or burned, with an informal sector recovering some materials.
Similar countries doing it better and worse
PanamaScored on the same twelve pillars as Honduras.77
GuatemalaScored on the same twelve pillars as Honduras.73
Costa RicaScored on the same twelve pillars as Honduras.73
NicaraguaScored on the same twelve pillars as Honduras.68
A note from the lens of mother natureswipe →
Energy, 4/5
Honduras generates roughly half of its electricity from renewables, about 52 per cent in 2023, drawing on hydropower, a large solar build out, wind and biomass, with the balance from fuel oil and coal. Per person emissions are very low at 1.19 tonnes of CO2 in 2024.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Honduras's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Food and farming, 4/5
Honduras is a major agricultural exporter, leading Central America in coffee and growing bananas, palm oil and basic grains, yet it still imports staple cereals. Maize, beans, plantain and cassava underpin a mostly home grown everyday diet, and forest covers about 56% of the country (World Bank, 2022).
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Honduras's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Heritage, 5/5
Honduras holds rich living heritage across Garifuna, Lenca, Maya Chortí and mestizo communities. The Garifuna keep a distinct language, punta dance and drumming, and the dügü, an ancestral ceremony that calls on the spirits of forebears, recognised by UNESCO.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Honduras's record, so it is where the score moves first.
The Honduras Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Honduras, checked and listed.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Government effectiveness
39.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Rule of law
36.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Political stability
56.2 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Voice and accountability
45.4 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Environmental Performance Index
40.2 / 100 · 123 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 123 of 180 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
49.1 / 100 · 98 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 98 of 180 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
50.4 / 100 · 85 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 85 of 180 countries assessed.
Air pollution
87.8 / 100 · 35 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 35 of 180 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
60.2 / 100 · 72 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 72 of 180 countries assessed.
Marine protected areas
11.1 / 100 · 129 of 131
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 129 of 131 countries assessed.
How Honduras Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Conservation
Land and sea actually protected, not pledged
02
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost
03
Water
Fresh water per person, and the ocean’s health
04
Food & farming
Whether the place can feed itself
05
Organic & clean
Certified land and pesticide reality
06
Climate & energy
Emissions per person, how the grid is powered
07
Waste
Where the rubbish goes, what comes back
08
Health
What people eat and die of
09
Heritage
Living culture, and what the law keeps standing
10
Ownership
Who owns the economy, how much of a dollar stays
11
Governance
Freedom, honesty, promises kept
12
Future
Measured trends run forward, pledges against pace
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
One index, every destination. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
