Hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride are important sinks in the stratosphere for free halogens. The major sources of chlorine and fluorine in the stratosphere are anthropogenic; therefore a measurement of HC1 and HF gives information about the magnitude and anthropogenic effects on stratospheric chemistry and may give some information about the stratospheric hydroxyl concentration as well. We have determined the total column amount of HCl and HF abve 12 km by measuring infrared absopption spectra with a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer flown as a jet aircraft The HCl column varies from 0.7¿104 molecules-cm-2 near the equator to 2.7¿1015 molecules-cm-2 at 70¿N; the HF column is about a factor of 5 lower. The HCl:HF ratio is almost independent of latitude, and neither constituent shows substantial seasonal or diurnal variaiton. At mid-latitude the data from 1978 to 1982 show an annual increase of 5% per year for HC1 and 12% per year of the HF.