Choluteca: population, poverty, jobs, income, education and health
Choluteca is a department of Honduras, number 8 of 18 by population. INE estimates Choluteca had 491,525 residents in 2023, 5.0% of Honduras's 9,745,149, making it 8th largest of 18 departments by population.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Choluteca: Choluteca had an unemployment rate of 7.0% in 2023 (13,782 unemployed among a labour force of 195,535), above the national figure of 6.8%; this is 5th highest of 18 departments.
- Health in Choluteca: Life expectancy at birth in Choluteca was 76.8 years in INE's 2022 estimate (73.0 for men, 80.7 for women), against 77.1 nationally, ranking joint 8th highest of 18 departments.
- Education in Choluteca: People aged 15 and over in Choluteca had an average of 6.8 years of schooling in 2023, ranking joint 8th highest of 18 departments.
- Poverty and living standards in Choluteca: 64.0% of households in Choluteca were poor in 2023 (78,744 of 123,044 households with declared income), above the figure for all 18 departments combined of 63.4% and is 8th lowest of 18 departments.
How urban is Choluteca?
43.3% of the people of Choluteca lived in urban areas in 2023 (the national figure is 55.7%), ranking 8th most urbanised of 18 departments; 212,749 people were urban and 278,776 rural.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Honduras · saved copyWhat is the population density of Choluteca?
Choluteca had 113 people per square kilometre in 2023 against 87 nationally, ranking 8th most densely populated of 18 departments.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Honduras · saved copyHow many men and women live in Choluteca?
There were 89.9 men for every 100 women in Choluteca in 2023 (232,715 men and 258,810 women), compared with 89.0 nationally.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Honduras · saved copyHow many people of working age live in Choluteca?
358,535 people in Choluteca were of working age (15 and over) in 2023, 72.9% of its population; the national share is 71.9%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Honduras · saved copyHow many people live in a household in Choluteca?
Households in Choluteca had an average of 3.9 members in 2023 against 3.8 nationally, ranking joint 6th largest of 18 departments; there were 126,214 households in total.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Honduras · saved copyHow departments are governed in Honduras
Departments (18). Governor appointed by the president. Represents central government; no functions or funds of its own.
Every tier of government in Honduras
Other departments of Honduras
- Cortes 1,886,695
- Francisco Morazan 1,748,900
- Yoro 655,445
- Olancho 602,876
- Comayagua 593,521
- Paraiso 517,966
- Atlantida 508,228
- Santa Barbara 490,072
- Copan 430,958
- Lempira 382,378
- Colon 360,498
- Intibuca 279,111
- La Paz 235,599
- Valle 196,412
- Ocotepeque 174,179
- Gracias A Dios 110,288
- Islas De Bahia 80,498
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Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Honduras: Principales indicadores demograficos 2022: tables by department (INE population projections 2014-2030), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4d62fb0ba85b…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Honduras: Encuesta Permanente de Hogares de Propositos Multiples (EPHPM) 2023, consolidated four-quarter base: results by department, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 84490a09493a…)
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