Honduras Fuel Prices Rise for an 11th Week Despite a Bigger Subsidy
HONDURAS · ENERGY
Key Facts
- —The country Honduras is a Central American country of about 10 million people, roughly Portugal’s population. It produces no oil and imports all its fuel, so rises in world prices soon reach its pumps.
- —The background The energy ministry sets maximum pump prices every week for the two main cities. Regular petrol sold for L89.53 (about US$3.33) a gallon in January.
- —Why now World fuel prices keep climbing. The government raised its temporary support from 50 to 65 percent of the increases on 21 September, and to 70 percent from Monday.
- —What happened From Monday 28 September, premium petrol in Tegucigalpa costs L153.17 (about US$5.70) a gallon, up L4.87 (about US$0.18). Radio HRN counts eleven straight weeks of rises.
- —The numbers Regular rises to L135.26 (about US$5.03) and diesel to L153.53 (about US$5.71). A 25-pound cooking-gas cylinder stays frozen at L249.62 (about US$9.28).
- —What it means for you Filling a 15-gallon tank with regular in the capital now costs about L2,029 (about US$75). Diesel also feeds into bus fares and food prices.
- —Still open How long the government keeps paying the support, and whether world prices ease before the next weekly price list.
Honduras fuel prices rise again on Monday 28 September, for what Radio HRN counts as the eleventh week in a row. Premium petrol in the capital, Tegucigalpa, will cost L153.17 (about US$5.70) a gallon.
The government has raised the share of the increase it absorbs on regular petrol and diesel from 65 to 70 percent. That softens the rise but does not stop it.
What changes on Monday
The Secretaría de Energía, the national energy ministry, published the new price list on Saturday night. All figures are per US gallon, the unit Honduras uses at the pump.
In Tegucigalpa, premium rises L4.87 (about US$0.18) to L153.17 (about US$5.70). Regular rises L2.45 (about US$0.09) to L135.26 (about US$5.03), and diesel L2.43 (about US$0.09) to L153.53 (about US$5.71).
Kerosene rises L3.84 (about US$0.14) to L138.39 (about US$5.15). Liquefied gas for vehicles rises L0.83 (about US$0.03) to L51.92 (about US$1.93).
San Pedro Sula, the northern industrial city, pays slightly less. Premium there costs L148.69 (about US$5.53), regular L130.98 (about US$4.87) and diesel L149.20 (about US$5.55).
Dollar figures use the Central Bank of Honduras buying rate of L26.89 per US dollar on 25 September.
How Honduras sets fuel prices
Honduras does not let stations price freely. The energy ministry publishes maximum prices each weekend, and they apply at every station from Monday.
This week a fake table promising rises of up to L10 (about US$0.37) circulated first on social media. The ministry said it was false and that it had not yet published the real list, the newspaper El Heraldo reported.
A bigger subsidy that only softens the rise
The government calls its support “temporary economic aid”. Until mid-September it covered half of each weekly increase on regular petrol and diesel.
It rose to 65 percent with the prices of 21 September and reaches 70 percent this week. This week the state absorbs L5.83 (about US$0.22) of each gallon’s rise on regular in Tegucigalpa, and L5.74 (about US$0.21) on diesel.
Premium petrol and kerosene get no such support. That is one reason they rise most this week.
Household cooking gas is protected separately. The 25-pound cylinder stays at L249.62 (about US$9.28) in Tegucigalpa, with the state covering L33.46 (about US$1.24) of its cost.
Who pays for the support
Finance Secretary Emilio Hernández Hércules said on 22 September that the government plans to keep energy and fuel subsidies in 2027. The amounts have not been broken down, and the draft 2027 budget is still before Congress.
The 2026 budget set aside L680 million (about US$25 million) for fuel support. By June the state had already paid out L860 million (about US$32 million).
By December it expects to have spent L1.2 billion to L1.3 billion (about US$45 million to US$48 million), the newspaper Tiempo reported. That is nearly twice the original budget.
How far prices have come
In January regular petrol sold for L89.53 (about US$3.33) a gallon, according to El Heraldo. At Monday’s price it costs about half as much again.
Fuel is feeding into wider prices: annual inflation reached 6.2 percent in August, above the central bank’s 4 percent target. The bank has since raised its policy rate to 6 percent.
Economists quoted by El Heraldo expect inflation to finish the year above 6 percent. A former head of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration named diesel prices as a threat to the target.
For the wider picture of the country, see Honduras Explained 2026.
What comes next
The next price list is due next weekend, for Monday 5 October. Nothing in this week’s figures suggests the run of increases has ended.
Visitors hiring a car should budget at Monday’s prices or higher.
The rise is about price, not supply: nothing in the ministry’s list points to shortages. Nor does the larger subsidy mean prices are falling, only that they rise more slowly than world markets.
World oil prices remain the main driver; see Oil Tops US$106 as Iran Warns Its War Could Spread to the Indian Ocean.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does petrol cost in Honduras now?
From 28 September 2026, premium petrol costs L153.17 (about US$5.70) a gallon in Tegucigalpa and regular L135.26 (about US$5.03). Diesel costs L153.53 (about US$5.71).
Who sets fuel prices in Honduras?
The Secretaría de Energía, the national energy ministry, publishes maximum prices every weekend for Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. They apply at stations from the following Monday.
Does Honduras subsidise fuel?
Yes, partly. From 28 September the government covers 70 percent of the weekly increase on regular petrol and diesel, and it keeps the price of a 25-pound cooking-gas cylinder frozen. Premium petrol and kerosene get no support.
What do drivers in Tegucigalpa pay from 28 September?
Premium petrol costs L153.17 (about US$5.70) a gallon, regular rises to L135.26 (about US$5.03) and diesel to L153.53 (about US$5.71); a 25-pound cooking-gas cylinder stays frozen at L249.62 (about US$9.28).
Sources: Secretaría de Energía, official price table from 21 September 2026 (50 to 65 percent support), Radio HRN, prices from 28 September, 27 September 2026, HCH, prices and 70 percent support, 27 September 2026, Tu Nota, prices from 28 September, 27 September 2026, El Heraldo, fake price table, 26 September 2026, El Heraldo, Central Bank of Honduras exchange rate, 25 September 2026, El Heraldo, inflation outlook, 25 September 2026, El Heraldo, fuel price rises since January, 31 May 2026, Tiempo, subsidies to continue in 2027, 22 September 2026. All retrieved 27 September 2026. The 28 September price list was published by the Secretaría de Energía on its official channels.
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