Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Panama
Panama: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) was 8.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Panama, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Panama recorded 8.4% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and up 92.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Panama peaked at 14.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2013.
Panama ranks 51st of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 6.4% | — |
| 1992 | 6.3% | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 6.4% | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 6.4% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 6.7% | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 6.6% | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 6.4% | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 6.2% | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 6.2% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 6.3% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 6.3% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 6.3% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6.1% | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 6.0% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 5.8% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 5.7% | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 5.6% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 5.9% | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 5.8% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 4.0% | -31.1% |
| 2012 | 3.7% | -8.4% |
| 2013 | 3.7% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 4.4% | +19.5% |
| 2015 | 4.3% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 4.7% | +8.8% |
| 2017 | 5.3% | +13.2% |
| 2018 | 5.2% | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 6.3% | +21.2% |
| 2020 | 14.7% | +134.4% |
| 2021 | 10.2% | -30.6% |
| 2022 | 8.1% | -20.5% |
| 2023 | 6.5% | -19.1% |
| 2024 | 8.5% | +29.1% |
| 2025 | 8.4% | -1.1% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 8.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.0%, 1.7× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Panama's 8.4% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.0%, 1.4× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Panama changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +134.4% | 6.3% | 14.7% |
| 2011 | -31.1% | 5.8% | 4.0% |
| 2021 | -30.6% | 14.7% | 10.2% |
| 2024 | +29.1% | 6.5% | 8.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.4% | 6.2% | 6.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 6.0% | 5.6% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.7% | 3.7% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.4% | 6.5% | 14.7% | 6 |
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 unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Panama?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Panama was 8.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 14.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2013.
- How does Panama rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Panama ranks 51st out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 92.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.