The Truth About Honduras' BPO Market

The biggest misconception about Honduras' BPO industry—and why the country's next phase of growth is just beginning.

When global companies evaluate nearshore destinations in Latin America, Honduras is often overlooked for one surprising reason: many assume the market is already full.

After all, the country is home to more than 45 contact center and BPO operations, with approximately 35 in San Pedro Sula and 10 in Tegucigalpa. At first glance, that may sound like a mature market with little room left for new entrants.

The reality tells a different story.

While Honduras has built a strong reputation as a nearshore destination, its BPO ecosystem remains relatively small compared to other regional markets. More importantly, the country's largest employers represent only a limited portion of the market, leaving significant room for new companies to establish, expand, and scale.

A Proven Market—Not a Saturated One

One of the greatest advantages of Honduras is that companies don't have to wonder whether the country works for outsourcing—it already does.

Global organizations have successfully operated in Honduras for years, serving customers across North America through customer experience, technical support, back-office services, finance, sales, IT, and shared services.

However, proprietary market intelligence conducted by Altia Smart City through direct engagement with BPO operators reveals an important reality: despite the number of companies in the market, the majority remain small or medium-sized operations.

Within Altia Smart City's San Pedro Sula campus alone, 29 companies currently operate. Of those, approximately 45% are small operations, 41% function as corporate offices, and only 14% have reached medium-to-large scale.

Across the broader Honduran market, the pattern is similar. Only a small group of operators has surpassed the 1,000-employee milestone, while most companies remain below the 500-employee range. In Tegucigalpa, where the market includes around ten operators, only a few have reached large-scale operations.

These figures illustrate something many investors don't realize: Honduras has proven demand, experienced talent, and global operators—but its overall market size is still relatively modest.

That creates opportunity.

Growth Doesn't Require Replacing Anyone

Unlike more saturated outsourcing destinations where competition for talent can quickly drive up costs and turnover, Honduras offers something increasingly difficult to find: the ability to grow without displacing the existing market. The country's BPO workforce has developed through years of serving U.S. and international clients, creating a strong pipeline of professionals with experience in customer service, sales, technical support, finance, back-office operations, and shared services.

At the same time, the industry's current scale leaves room for additional investment and expansion. Companies entering Honduras today are not arriving too late.

They're arriving at the right time.

The Fundamentals Continue to Improve

Honduras is not simply relying on available labor.

The country's competitive position continues to strengthen.

According to the EF English Proficiency Index 2025, Honduras ranks among the strongest English-speaking markets in Latin America. EF's Honduras profile also highlights strong English scores in key BPO cities such as San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, where most of the country's contact center activity is concentrated.

Geography also plays a major role. Operating on Central Standard Time, Honduras offers real-time collaboration with U.S. teams, allowing companies to support customers, manage operations, and collaborate across departments without the time-zone challenges common in offshore destinations. The country's investment environment also supports long-term growth. The U.S. Department of State notes that Honduras is generally open to foreign investment, while CAFTA-DR connects Honduras with the United States and other Central American markets under a formal trade framework.

Honduras also has a large working-age population. According to PAHO, people between 15 and 64 represented approximately 65% of the country's population in 2024, equivalent to more than 7 million people. Combined with competitive operating costs, cultural alignment with North America, and an experienced bilingual workforce, Honduras offers the ingredients companies seek when selecting their next nearshore location.

The Next Phase of Nearshoring

The nearshoring conversation has changed.

Companies are no longer searching only for the lowest-cost destination.

They're looking for countries where they can build long-term operations, hire bilingual talent, maintain service quality, and continue scaling over time.

Honduras checks each of those boxes.

The misconception that the country is "already full" overlooks an important fact: while the ecosystem is established, it remains far from saturated.

• There are successful global operators.

• There is experienced talent.

• There is proven infrastructure.

And perhaps most importantly, there is still room to grow.

This opportunity also goes beyond traditional call center services. As global outsourcing evolves, companies are increasingly looking for nearshore locations that can support higher-value functions such as finance and accounting, healthcare support, IT helpdesk, quality assurance, sales, customer success, data processing, AI support operations, trust and safety, and shared services.

That shift creates a powerful opportunity for Honduras. The country already has the foundation of a proven BPO market, but still has the capacity to attract the next generation of business services.

Looking Ahead

The next wave of BPO and shared services investment won't be driven solely by cost—it will be driven by markets that combine operational experience, talent availability, and long-term scalability. Honduras has already demonstrated that it can support world-class operations.

Now, it has the opportunity to support many more.

For companies searching for their next nearshore destination, the question is no longer whether Honduras is ready.

The real question is whether they are ready to discover one of Latin America's most overlooked growth opportunities.