Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Panama
Panama: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 96.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Panama, 1980–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Panama recorded 96.2% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Panama peaked at 96.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 88.1%, in 1980.
Panama ranks 30th of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Panama, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 88.1% | — |
| 1990 | 88.8% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 91.9% | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 94.1% | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 95.4% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 95.7% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 96.2% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 96.1% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 96.2% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 88.1% | 88.1% | 88.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 88.8% | 88.8% | 88.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 91.9% | 91.9% | 91.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 95.1% | 94.1% | 95.7% | 3 |
| 2020s | 96.2% | 96.1% | 96.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More education data for Panama
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 23,777 (2017)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 10,042 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 47,857 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 46,052 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 311,983 (2017)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 451,308 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0999 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Panama?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Panama was 96.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 96.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 88.1% in 1980.
- How does Panama rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- Panama ranks 30th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release