Cortes: population, poverty, jobs, income, education and health
Cortes is a department of Honduras, the largest of 18 by population. INE estimates Cortes had 1,886,695 residents in 2023, 19.4% of Honduras's 9,745,149, making it the largest of 18 departments by population.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Cortes: Cortes had an unemployment rate of 9.1% in 2023 (75,644 unemployed among a labour force of 827,480), above the national figure of 6.8%; this is 3rd highest of 18 departments.
- Health in Cortes: Life expectancy at birth in Cortes was 77.4 years in INE's 2022 estimate (73.7 for men, 81.2 for women), against 77.1 nationally, ranking joint 5th highest of 18 departments.
- Education in Cortes: People aged 15 and over in Cortes had an average of 7.5 years of schooling in 2023, ranking 2nd highest of 18 departments.
- Poverty and living standards in Cortes: 58.7% of households in Cortes were poor in 2023 (295,768 of 504,109 households with declared income), below the figure for all 18 departments combined of 63.4% and is 2nd lowest of 18 departments.
How urban is Cortes?
82.9% of the people of Cortes lived in urban areas in 2023 (the national figure is 55.7%), ranking the most urbanised of 18 departments; 1,564,156 people were urban and 322,539 rural.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Honduras · saved copyWhat is the population density of Cortes?
Cortes had 481 people per square kilometre in 2023 against 87 nationally, ranking the most densely populated of 18 departments.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Honduras · saved copyHow many men and women live in Cortes?
There were 85.1 men for every 100 women in Cortes in 2023 (867,456 men and 1,019,239 women), compared with 89.0 nationally.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Honduras · saved copyHow many people of working age live in Cortes?
1,403,753 people in Cortes were of working age (15 and over) in 2023, 74.4% 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 Cortes?
Households in Cortes had an average of 3.5 members in 2023 against 3.8 nationally, ranking joint smallest of 18 departments; there were 544,461 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
- Francisco Morazan 1,748,900
- Yoro 655,445
- Olancho 602,876
- Comayagua 593,521
- Paraiso 517,966
- Atlantida 508,228
- Choluteca 491,525
- 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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