Panama
Republic of PanamaRepública de Panama
presidential republicIndependence 3 November 1903 (from Colombia
Panama as the 2024 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 151 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela that was named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the union dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land known as the Panama Canal Zone on either side of the structure.
The US Army Corps of Engineers built the Panama Canal between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the subsequent decades. With US help, Panamanian dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were transferred to Panama by the end of 1999. An ambitious expansion project to more than double the Canal's capacity by allowing for more Canal transits and larger ships was carried out between 2007 and 2016.
Geography
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
18 fieldsLand useshare of 75,420 sq km
Location
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Climate
- tropical maritime;
- hot, humid, cloudy;
- prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Terrain
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains with dissected, upland plains; coastal plains with rolling hills
Population distribution
- population is concentrated towards the center of the country, particularly around the Canal, but a sizeable segment of the populace also lives in the far west around David;
- the eastern third of the country is sparsely inhabited
Geography - note
- strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America;
- controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
People and Society
36 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2024 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2024 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2010 est.)
Religions(2023 est.)
Languages
Spanish (official), Indigenous languages (including Ngabere (Guaymi), Buglere, Kuna, Embera, Wounaan, Naso (Teribe), and Bri Bri), Panamanian English Creole (a mixture of English and Spanish with elements of Ngabere, also known as Guari Guari and Colon Creole), English, Chinese (Yue and Hakka), Arabic, French Creole, other (Yiddish, Hebrew, Korean, Japanese); major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Demographic profile
Panama is a country of demographic and economic contrasts. It is in the midst of a demographic transition, characterized by steadily declining rates of fertility, mortality, and population growth, but disparities persist based on wealth, geography, and ethnicity. Panama has one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America and dedicates substantial funding to social programs, yet poverty and inequality remain prevalent.
The indigenous population accounts for a growing share of Panama's poor and extreme poor, while the non-indigenous rural poor have been more successful at rising out of poverty through rural-to-urban labor migration. The government's large expenditures on untargeted, indirect subsidies for water, electricity, and fuel have been ineffective, but its conditional cash transfer program has shown some promise in helping to decrease extreme poverty among the indigenous population.
Panama has expanded access to education and clean water, but the availability of sanitation and, to a lesser extent, electricity remains poor. The increase in secondary schooling - led by female enrollment - is spreading to rural and indigenous areas, which probably will help to alleviate poverty if educational quality and the availability of skilled jobs improve.
Inadequate access to sanitation contributes to a high incidence of diarrhea in Panama's children, which is one of the main causes of Panama's elevated chronic malnutrition rate, especially among indigenous communities.
Population distribution
- population is concentrated towards the center of the country, particularly around the Canal, but a sizeable segment of the populace also lives in the far west around David;
- the eastern third of the country is sparsely inhabited
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.87 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 14.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
- male:
- 15.4 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 12.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Alcohol consumption per capita
- total:
- 6.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- beer:
- 5.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- wine:
- 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- spirits:
- 1.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- other alcohols:
- 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Environment
12 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
Environment - current issues
- water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources;
- deforestation of tropical rain forest;
- land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal;
- air pollution in urban areas;
- mining threatens natural resources
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- Marine Life Conservation
Climate
- tropical maritime;
- hot, humid, cloudy;
- prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 69.5% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 1.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
- particulate matter emissions:
- 11.78 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- carbon dioxide emissions:
- 10.71 megatons (2016 est.)
- methane emissions:
- 5.97 megatons (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawal
- municipal:
- 760 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
- industrial:
- 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
- agricultural:
- 450 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Presidential republic; President José Raúl MULINO Quintero (since 1 July 2024); President José Raúl MULINO Quintero (since 1 July 2024)
22 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional, 71 seats, elected 5 May 2024one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Panama
- conventional short form:
- Panama
- local long form:
- República de Panama
- local short form:
- Panama
- etymology:
- named after the capital city which was itself named after a former indigenous fishing village
Capital
- name:
- Panama City
- geographic coordinates:
- 8 58 N, 79 32 W
- time difference:
- UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- etymology:
- according to tradition, the name derives from a former fishing area near the present capital - an indigenous village and its adjacent beach - that were called "panama" meaning "an abundance of fish"
Administrative divisions
- 10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 4 indigenous regions* (comarcas);
- Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Embera-Wounaan*, Guna Yala*, Herrera, Los Santos, Naso Tjer Di*, Ngabe-Bugle*, Panama, Panama Oeste, Veraguas
Constitution
- history:
- several previous; latest effective 11 October 1972
- amendments:
- proposed by the National Assembly, by the Cabinet, or by the Supreme Court of Justice;
- passage requires approval by one of two procedures: 1) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings and by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in a single reading without textual modifications;
- 2) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings, followed by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in each of three readings with textual modifications, and approval in a referendum;
- amended several times, last in 2004
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- yes
- citizenship by descent only:
- yes
- dual citizenship recognized:
- no
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 5 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President José Raúl MULINO Quintero (since 1 July 2024)
- head of government:
- President José Raúl MULINO Quintero (since 1 July 2024)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president
- elections/appointments:
- president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term;
- president eligible for a single non-consecutive term);
- election last held on 5 May 2024 (next to be held in May 2029)
- election results:
- ;
- 2024: José Raúl MULINO Quintero elected president;
- percent of vote - José Raúl MULINO Quintero (RM) 34.2%, Ricardo Alberto LOMBANA González (MOCA) 24.6%, Martín Erasto TORRIJOS Espino (PP) 16%, Alberto ROUX Moses (CD) 11.4%, Zulay RODRÍGUEZ Lu (independent) 6.6%, José Gabriel CARRIZO Jaén (PRD) 5.9%, other 1.3%
- 2019: Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen elected president;
- percent of vote - Laurentino CORTIZO Cohen (PRD) 33.3%, Romulo ROUX (CD) 31%, Ricardo LOMBANA (independent) 18.8%, Jose BLANDON (Panameñista Party) 10.8%, Ana Matilde GOMEZ Ruiloba (independent) 4.8%, other 1.3%
note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (71 seats; 45 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - populous towns and cities - by open list proportional representation vote and 26 directly elected in single-seat constituencies - outlying rural districts - by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 5 May 2024 (next to be held in May 2029)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 21, PRD 13, RM 13, CD 8, Panameñista 8, MOCA 3, PA 2, PP 2, MOLIRENA 1
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 magistrates and 9 alternates and divided into civil, criminal, administrative, and general business chambers)
- judge selection and term of office:
- magistrates appointed by the president for staggered 10-year terms
- subordinate courts:
- appellate courts or Tribunal Superior;
- Labor Supreme Courts;
- Court of Audit;
- circuit courts or Tribunal Circuital (2 each in 9 of the 10 provinces);
- municipal courts;
- electoral, family, maritime, and adolescent courts
Political parties
- Alliance Party or PA
- Alternative Independent Socialist Party or PAIS
- Another Way Movement or MOCA
- Democratic Change or CD
- Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD
- Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA
- Panameñista Party (formerly the Arnulfista Party)
- Popular Party or PP (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC)
- Realizing Goals Party or RM
International organization participation
ACS, BCIE, CAN (observer), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador José Miguel ALEMÁN HEALY (since 18 September 2024)
- chancery:
- 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 483-1407
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 483-8413
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://www.embassyofpanama.org/
- consulate(s) general:
- Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Mari Carmen APONTE (since 21 November 2022)
- embassy:
- Building 783, Demetrio Basilio Lakas Avenue, Clayton
- mailing address:
- 9100 Panama City PL, Washington, DC 20521-9100
- telephone:
- [507] 317-5000
- FAX:
- [507] 317-5568
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://pa.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
- divided into four, equal rectangles;
- the top quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red;
- the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center;
- the blue and red colors are those of the main political parties (Conservatives and Liberals respectively) and the white denotes peace between them;
- the blue star stands for the civic virtues of purity and honesty, the red star signifies authority and law
National anthem
- name:
- "Himno Istmeno" (Isthmus Hymn)
- lyrics/music:
- Jeronimo DE LA OSSA/Santos A. JORGE
note: adopted 1925
National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites:
- 5 (2 cultural, 3 natural)
- selected World Heritage Site locales:
- Caribbean Fortifications (c);
- Darien National Park (n);
- Talamanca Range-La Amistad National Park (n);
- Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá (c);
- Coiba National Park (n)
Economy
32 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2023 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2022 est.)
Budget(2021 est.)
Economic overview
- upper middle-income Central American economy;
- increasing Chinese trade;
- US dollar user;
- canal expansion fueling broader infrastructure investment;
- services sector dominates economy;
- historic money-laundering and illegal drug hub
Credit ratings
- Fitch rating:
- BBB (2011)
- Moody's rating:
- Baa1 (2019)
Standard & Poors rating: BBB (2020)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agricultural products
sugarcane, bananas, rice, oranges, oil palm fruit, plantains, chicken, milk, pineapples, maize (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Labor force
2.096 million (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Unemployment rate
6.7% (2023 est.) · 8.2% (2022 est.) · 10.45% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
- total:
- 16.6% (2023 est.)
- male:
- 13.5% (2023 est.)
- female:
- 22% (2023 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Population below poverty line
21.5% (2019 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
48.9 (2023 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Average household expenditures
- on food:
- 15.6% of household expenditures (2022 est.)
- on alcohol and tobacco:
- 1.7% of household expenditures (2022 est.)
Remittances
0.64% of GDP (2023 est.) · 0.69% of GDP (2022 est.) · 0.84% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Taxes and other revenues
7.46% (of GDP) (2021 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Current account balance
-$3.739 billion (2023 est.) · -$475.146 million (2022 est.) · -$778.779 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Exports
$36.569 billion (2023 est.) · $35.731 billion (2022 est.) · $27.488 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports - commodities
copper ore, ships, fish, bananas, refined petroleum (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$36.135 billion (2023 est.) · $32.693 billion (2022 est.) · $24.459 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, refined petroleum, ships, garments, packaged medicine (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$6.757 billion (2023 est.) · $6.876 billion (2022 est.) · $8.832 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Exchange rates
balboas (PAB) per US dollar - 1 (2023 est.) · 1 (2022 est.) · 1 (2021 est.) · 1 (2020 est.) · 1 (2019 est.)
Energy
8 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity, 4.434 million kW(2022 est.)
Coal
- consumption:
- 837,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
- exports:
- (2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton
- imports:
- 845,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Natural gas
- consumption:
- 389.611 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- imports:
- 389.611 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
25.763 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 1.89 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 23.114 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 759,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2020–22 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- Panama has seen a steady increase in revenue from the telecom sector in recent years;
- mobile services and broadband remain the key growth sectors, with mobile connections accounting for 90% of all connections, and over half of telecom sector revenue;
- the mobile market has effective competition;
- internet services have grown in recent years as consumers responded to government fixed-line projects, improved mobile broadband connectivity and mobile applications (2021)
- domestic:
- fixed-line is 18 per 100 and subscribership of mobile-cellular telephone is 138 per 100 (2021)
- international:
- country code - 507;
- landing points for the PAN-AM, ARCOS, SAC, AURORA, PCCS, PAC, and the MAYA-1 submarine cable systems that together provide links to the US and parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
- connected to the Central American Microwave System (2019)
Broadcast media
- multiple privately owned TV networks and a government-owned educational TV station;
- multi-channel cable and satellite TV subscription services are available;
- more than 100 commercial radio stations (2019)
Transportation
9 fieldsMerchant marine, 8,174 ships by type(2023)
Networkskm
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 4 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 122
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 12,939,350 (2018)
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 47.63 million (2018) mt-km
Ports
- total ports:
- 12 (2024)
- large:
- 0
- medium:
- 3
- small:
- 3
- very small:
- 5
- size unknown:
- 1
- ports with oil terminals:
- 5
- key ports:
- Bahia de las Minas, Balboa, Pedregal, Puerto Armuelles, Puerto Colon, Puerto Cristobal
Military and Security
4 fieldsPersonnel strengthsone square, 100 people · (2023)
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; the paramilitary Panamanian Public Forces are under the Ministry of Public Security and include the Panama National Police ( La Policía Nacional de Panamá , PNP), National Aeronaval Service (Servicio Nacional Aeronaval, SENAN), and National Border Service (Servicio Nacional de Fronteras, SENAFRONT) (2024)
note: the PNP includes a special forces directorate with counterterrorism and counternarcotics units; SENAFRONT has three regionally based border security brigades, plus a specialized brigade comprised of special forces, counternarcotics, maritime, and rapid reaction units
Military - note
the Panama National Police is principally responsible for internal law enforcement and public order, while the National Border Service handles border security; the Aeronaval Service is responsible for carrying out air and naval operations that include some internal security responsibilities;
key areas of focus are countering narcotics trafficking and securing the border, particularly along the southern border with Colombia (the area is known as the Darién Gap) where the National Border Service (SENAFRONT) maintains a significant presence
Panama created a paramilitary National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Panamá) in the 1950s from the former National Police (established 1904); the National Guard subsequently evolved into more of a military force with some police responsibilities; it seized power in a coup in 1968 and military officers ran the country until 1989;
in 1983, the National Guard was renamed the Panama Defense Force (PDF); the PDF was disbanded after the 1989 US invasion and the current national police forces were formed in 1990; the armed forces were officially abolished under the 1994 Constitution (2024)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsRefugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 58,158 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2023)
Illicit drugs
- not a major consumer or producer of illicit drugs;
- a prime sea and land passage for drugs, primarily cocaine, from South America to North America and Europe;
- drug traffickers also use millions of shipping containers to smuggle drugs to North America and Europe through the Panama
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Panama.” The World Factbook 2024. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/panama/2024.