Share of the population with lower secondary education in Panama
Panama: Share of the population with lower secondary education was 64.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with lower secondary education in Panama, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Panama recorded 64.7% for share of the population with lower secondary education in 2024.
The figure is down 5.1% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with lower secondary education in Panama peaked at 69.5% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 21.6%, in 1970.
That places Panama 81st out of 135 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Share of the population with lower secondary education in Panama, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 21.6% | — |
| 1980 | 31.5% | +45.8% |
| 1990 | 44.0% | +39.7% |
| 1997 | 52.7% | +19.6% |
| 2000 | 47.5% | -9.8% |
| 2001 | 48.4% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 49.9% | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 51.1% | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 52.1% | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 52.5% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 53.2% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 54.5% | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 56.1% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 56.5% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 61.5% | +8.8% |
| 2011 | 57.6% | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 60.1% | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 61.0% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 61.7% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 62.5% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 62.7% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 62.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 69.5% | +10.8% |
| 2021 | 66.6% | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 66.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 68.2% | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 64.7% | -5.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.6% | 21.6% | 21.6% | 1 |
| 1980s | 31.5% | 31.5% | 31.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 48.3% | 44.0% | 52.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 52.2% | 47.5% | 56.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.1% | 57.6% | 69.5% | 9 |
| 2020s | 66.5% | 64.7% | 68.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More education data for Panama
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 154,102 (2017)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -5.29 % change on previous year (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 93,909 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 6.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 191,589 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -6.27 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 14,629 (2017)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4,443 (2017)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 115,973 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) -6.86 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with lower secondary education in Panama?
- Share of the population with lower secondary education in Panama was 64.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 69.5% in 2019.
- What is the lowest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.6% in 1970.
- How does Panama rank for share of the population with lower secondary education?
- Panama ranks 81st out of 135 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population with lower secondary education rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with lower secondary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed lower secondary education or higher.