Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Panama
Panama: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 9.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Panama, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Panama is 9.6%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.6% on the previous year and down 45.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Panama peaked at 29.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.6%, in 2024.
Panama ranks 65th of 232 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Panama, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 29.1% | — |
| 2001 | 28.3% | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 27.4% | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 26.6% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 25.8% | -3.1% |
| 2005 | 24.9% | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 24.1% | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 23.3% | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 22.5% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 21.7% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 20.9% | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 20.0% | -3.9% |
| 2012 | 19.2% | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 18.4% | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 17.6% | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 16.8% | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 16.0% | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 15.2% | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 14.4% | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 13.6% | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 12.8% | -5.9% |
| 2021 | 12.0% | -6.2% |
| 2022 | 11.2% | -6.6% |
| 2023 | 10.4% | -7.1% |
| 2024 | 9.6% | -7.6% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 9.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.1%, 164.7× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Panama's 9.6% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.9%, 4.9× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.4% | 21.7% | 29.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.2% | 13.6% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.2% | 9.6% | 12.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Panama
- 62 Botswana 10.7% compare
- 63 Morocco 10.7% compare
- 64 Cape Verde 10.1% compare
- 66 Micronesia (country) 9.5% compare
- 67 Marshall Islands 9.5% compare
- 68 Romania 9.2% compare
More reference data data for Panama
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1446 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.6179 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.9793 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0285 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.9793 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4849 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2267 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 5.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1553 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Panama?
- Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Panama was 9.6% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 29.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.6% in 2024.
- How does Panama rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
- Panama ranks 65th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.