Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Panama

Panama: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 8.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
8.3%
Change on year
down 3.5%
World rank
48th
of 185 countries
All-time high
18.5%
in 2020
All-time low
3.7%
in 2012
Years of data
53
1970–2025

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Panama, 1970–2025

5101520197019972025

Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Panama recorded 8.3% for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and up 88.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Panama peaked at 18.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2012.

Panama ranks 48th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 7.3% 5.8% 8.8% 10
1980s 11.9% 8.4% 16.3% 8
1990s 13.7% 11.6% 16.1% 10
2000s 11.1% 5.1% 14.7% 9
2010s 4.8% 3.7% 6.4% 10
2020s 10.1% 6.7% 18.5% 6

Countries ranked near Panama

  1. 45 Albania 8.4% compare
  2. 46 Colombia 8.4% compare
  3. 47 Turkey 8.4% compare
  4. 49 Turks and Caicos Islands 8.3% compare
  5. 50 Armenia 8.3% compare
  6. 51 Uruguay 8.2% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Panama

All data for Panama →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Panama?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Panama was 8.3% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Panama?
The highest recorded value was 18.5% in 2020.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Panama?
The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2012.
How does Panama rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
Panama ranks 48th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Panama?
Over the last ten years it is up 88.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Panama data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 5,169 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.