Panama — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for Panama, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for Panama was 66.30% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 68.51% in 2019. The lowest was 54.47% in 1990 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.56% per year.
Panama ranks 51 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 27%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 63.14%, so Panama sits above it. It peaked in 2019 and has fallen 3% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 1%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 8 of 31 economies; Nicaragua (66.07%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 6% in 1991.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 123 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 143rd of 187 in 1990 → 79th of 187 in 2000 → 62nd of 187 in 2010 → 43rd of 187 in 2020 → 50th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 66.3% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 66.32% | +1.2 pp |
| 2023 | 65.14% | -1.2 pp |
| 2022 | 66.32% | +3.5 pp |
| 2021 | 62.8% | -3.6 pp |
| 2020 | 66.4% | -2.1 pp |
| 2019 | 68.51% | +0.9 pp |
| 2018 | 67.57% | +1.7 pp |
| 2017 | 65.87% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 66.19% | +0.5 pp |
| 2015 | 65.65% | -0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 65.7% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 65.74% | +0.8 pp |
| 2012 | 64.96% | +2.0 pp |
| 2011 | 63.01% | -1.9 pp |
| 2010 | 64.88% | +1.4 pp |
| 2009 | 63.52% | -2.1 pp |
| 2008 | 65.66% | +1.6 pp |
| 2007 | 64.08% | +0.4 pp |
| 2006 | 63.71% | -0.8 pp |
| 2005 | 64.54% | +0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 64.39% | +0.6 pp |
| 2003 | 63.8% | +0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 63.64% | +0.3 pp |
| 2001 | 63.32% | +0.3 pp |
| 2000 | 63% | +0.3 pp |
| 1999 | 62.67% | -0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 62.85% | +1.2 pp |
| 1997 | 61.63% | +0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 61.48% | +0.2 pp |
| 1995 | 61.31% | +0.8 pp |
| 1994 | 60.5% | +0.4 pp |
| 1993 | 60.14% | +1.1 pp |
| 1992 | 59% | +1.2 pp |
| 1991 | 57.82% | +3.4 pp |
| 1990 | 54.47% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Panama’s Labor participation in 1991?
57.82% (1991). 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 population ages 15+, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Panama’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +21.7% in total — about 0.6% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.TLF.CACT.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: 2025: 66.3%; 2024: 66.32%; 2023: 65.14%; 2022: 66.32%; 2021: 62.8%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.TLF.CACT.ZS — Labor Force Participation Rate. 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.