Panama — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Panama, 1970–2023.
Education spending for Panama was 2.47% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 40 years, from 1970 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 4.89% in 2000. Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.92% per year.
Panama ranks 151 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 88%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 4.27%, so Panama sits below it. It peaked in 2000 and has fallen 49% since. Over the last decade (2014–2023) the figure moved down 20%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 35 of 36 economies; Haiti (0.96%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 31% in 2020. That is 27% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 14th of 31 in 1970 → 37th of 63 in 1980 → 37th of 116 in 2000 → 83rd of 157 in 2020 → 87th of 107 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 1970 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2.47% | -0.9 pp |
| 2022 | 3.38% | -0.3 pp |
| 2021 | 3.71% | -0.6 pp |
| 2020 | 4.3% | +1.0 pp |
| 2019 | 3.28% | -0.2 pp |
| 2018 | 3.45% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 3.38% | +0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 3.32% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 3.27% | +0.2 pp |
| 2014 | 3.08% | +0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 3.07% | -0.4 pp |
| 2008 | 3.43% | -0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 3.56% | -0.6 pp |
| 2003 | 4.2% | -0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 4.25% | +0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 4.19% | -0.7 pp |
| 2000 | 4.89% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 4.75% | +0.7 pp |
| 1997 | 4.08% | -0.3 pp |
| 1996 | 4.39% | +0.4 pp |
| 1995 | 3.95% | +0.5 pp |
| 1994 | 3.47% | -0.4 pp |
| 1987 | 3.87% | +0.5 pp |
| 1986 | 3.35% | -0.2 pp |
| 1985 | 3.52% | +0.1 pp |
| 1984 | 3.47% | -0.1 pp |
| 1983 | 3.55% | +0.1 pp |
| 1982 | 3.42% | -0.0 pp |
| 1981 | 3.43% | -0.1 pp |
| 1980 | 3.54% | -0.1 pp |
| 1979 | 3.64% | +0.0 pp |
| 1978 | 3.61% | -0.7 pp |
| 1977 | 4.28% | -0.0 pp |
| 1976 | 4.31% | +0.2 pp |
| 1975 | 4.15% | +0.3 pp |
| 1974 | 3.82% | +0.3 pp |
| 1973 | 3.49% | -0.5 pp |
| 1972 | 3.98% | +0.6 pp |
| 1971 | 3.35% | -0.7 pp |
| 1970 | 4.04% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Panama’s Education spending in 1971?
3.35% (1971). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Panama’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1970 and 2023 the series was shrinking overall: -38.9% in total — about 0.9% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2023: 2.47%; 2022: 3.38%; 2021: 3.71%; 2020: 4.3%; 2019: 3.28%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS — Government Education Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.