Panama

presidential republic

name: Panama City geographic coordinates: 8 58 N, 79 32 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: origin is unclear; may come from a Guaran word meaning "place of many fish"

chief of state: President Jos Ra l MULINO Quintero (since 1 July 2024) head of government: President Jos Ra l MULINO Quintero (since 1 July 2024) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president election/appointment process: 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) most recent election date: 5 May 2024 election results: 2024: Jos Ra l MULINO Quintero elected president; percent of vote - Jos Ra l MULINO Quintero (RM) 34.2%, Ricardo Alberto LOMBANA Gonz lez (MOCA) 24.6%, Mart n Erasto TORRIJOS Espino (PP) 16%, Alberto ROUX Moses (CD) 11.4%, Zulay RODR GUEZ Lu (independent) 6.6%, Jos Gabriel CARRIZO Ja n (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 (Paname ista Party) 10.8%, Ana Matilde GOMEZ Ruiloba (independent) 4.8%, other 1.3% expected date of next election: May 2029 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

legislature name: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 71 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 5/5/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Realizing Goals (RM) (14); Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) (13); Democratic Change (CD) (8); Panamenista Party (8); Independents (20); Other (8) percentage of women in chamber: 21.7% expected date of next election: May 2029

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

history: several previous; latest effective 11 October 1972 amendment process: 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

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

1.1% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

no regular military forces Ministry of Public Security: National Police (Polic a Nacional, PN), National Aeronaval Service (Servicio Nacional Aeronaval, SENAN), National Border Service (Servicio Nacional de Fronteras, SENAFRONT) (2025) note 1: collectively, the security forces are known as the Panamanian Public Forces note 2: the PNP includes a special forces directorate with counterterrorism and counternarcotics units; SENAFRONT has four regionally based border security brigades, plus a specialized brigade comprised of special forces, counternarcotics, maritime, and rapid reaction units

the Panamanian Public Forces focus on law enforcement, border control, and maritime security; the National Police are responsible for internal law enforcement and public order, while the National Border Service (SENAFRONT) 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 frontier with Colombia where SENAFRONT maintains a significant presence Panama created a paramilitary National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Panam ) 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 (2025)

$164.484 billion (2024 est.) $159.908 billion (2023 est.) $148.891 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$36,400 (2024 est.) $35,900 (2023 est.) $33,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

2.9% (2024 est.) 7.4% (2023 est.) 10.8% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

0.7% (2024 est.) 1.5% (2023 est.) 2.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

37.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

$37.376 billion (2024 est.) $37.905 billion (2023 est.) $35.717 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$30.887 billion (2024 est.) $35.927 billion (2023 est.) $32.646 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

6.6% (2024 est.) 6.6% (2023 est.) 8.1% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $7.57 billion (2021 est.) expenditures: $12.046 billion (2021 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling

sugarcane, rice, bananas, oranges, oil palm fruit, chicken, plantains, maize, milk, pineapples (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 4,536,008 (2025 est.) male: 2,284,105 female: 2,251,903

1.44% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 25% (male 574,336/female 544,180) 15-64 years: 64.8% (male 1,465,907/female 1,433,023) 65 years and over: 10.1% (2024 est.) (male 211,014/female 241,781)

17.11 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

5.48 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

2.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 79.2 years (2024 est.) male: 76.4 years female: 82.2 years

urban population: 69.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and White) 65%, Indigenous 12.3% (Ngabe 7.6%, Kuna 2.4%, Embera 0.9%, Bugle 0.8%, other 0.4%, unspecified 0.2%), Black or African descent 9.2%, Mulatto 6.8%, White 6.7% (2010 est.)

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 informaci n b sica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Evangelical 55%, Roman Catholic 33.4%, none 10.1%, unspecified 1.5% (2023 est.)

total population: 96.3% (2024 est.) male: 97.3% (2024 est.) female: 95.9% (2024 est.)

copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower

Tren de Aragua (TdA) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)

refugees: 10,801 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 928 (2024 est.)

77 (2025)

total: 77 km (2014) standard gauge: 77 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total: 8,174 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 2732, container ship 671, general cargo 1,428, oil tanker 866, other 2,477

total subscriptions: 6.98 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 157 (2023 est.)

percent of population: 78% (2023 est.)