Literacy rate, adult male in Panama

Panama: Literacy rate, adult male was 97.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
97.1%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
30th
of 88 countries
All-time high
97.1%
in 2024
All-time low
88.1%
in 1980
Years of data
9
1980–2024

Literacy rate, adult male in Panama, 1980–2024

0204060801001980200220241980: 88.1 % of males ages 15 and above1990: 89.3 % of males ages 15 and above2000: 92.5 % of males ages 15 and above2010: 94.7 % of males ages 15 and above2018: 96 % of males ages 15 and above2019: 96.1 % of males ages 15 and above2021: 96.7 % of males ages 15 and above2023: 96.6 % of males ages 15 and above2024: 97.1 % of males ages 15 and above

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15 and above.

Analysis

Panama recorded 97.1% for literacy rate, adult male in 2024. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult male in Panama peaked at 97.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 88.1%, in 1980.

Panama ranks 30th of 88 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Literacy rate, adult male in Panama, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above) in Panama, 1980 to 2024.
Year % of males ages 15 and above Change
1980 88.1%
1990 89.3% +1.4%
2000 92.5% +3.6%
2010 94.7% +2.3%
2018 96.0% +1.3%
2019 96.1% +0.2%
2021 96.7% +0.6%
2023 96.6% -0.1%
2024 97.1% +0.5%

Panama compared with similar countries

  • Panama's 97.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 98.6%, 98% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
  • Panama's 97.1% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 95.4%, 1.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 88.1% 88.1% 88.1% 1
1990s 89.3% 89.3% 89.3% 1
2000s 92.5% 92.5% 92.5% 1
2010s 95.6% 94.7% 96.1% 3
2020s 96.8% 96.6% 97.1% 3

Countries ranked near Panama

  1. 27 Indonesia 97.5% compare
  2. 28 Vietnam 97.2% compare
  3. 29 Venezuela 97.2% compare
  4. 31 Kuwait 97.0% compare
  5. 32 Peru 97.0% compare
  6. 33 Malaysia 96.8% compare

See the full ranking of 127 places →

More education data for Panama

All data for Panama →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, adult male in Panama?
Literacy rate, adult male in Panama was 97.1% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Panama?
The highest recorded value was 97.1% in 2024.
What is the lowest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Panama?
The lowest recorded value was 88.1% in 1980.
How does Panama rank for literacy rate, adult male?
Panama ranks 30th out of 88 countries with data for 2024.
Is literacy rate, adult male rising or falling in Panama?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Panama data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, adult male in Panama. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-adult-male-percent-of-males-ages-15-and-above/panama/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above)
Unit
% of males ages 15 and above
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
127 places, 2,578 data points, 1974–2024
Last refreshed

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.