Employment outside the formal sector in Panama
Panama: Employment outside the formal sector was 885.98 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment outside the formal sector in Panama, 2003–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Panama recorded 885.98 for employment outside the formal sector in 2025.
The figure is down 4.5% on the previous year and up 34.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment outside the formal sector in Panama peaked at 927.38 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 569.49, in 2011.
Panama ranks 39th of 81 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Employment outside the formal sector in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 661.9 | — |
| 2008 | 699.13 | +5.6% |
| 2011 | 569.49 | -18.5% |
| 2012 | 612.21 | +7.5% |
| 2013 | 633.5 | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 647.98 | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 656.61 | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 694.77 | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 699 | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 768.59 | +10.0% |
| 2019 | 842.55 | +9.6% |
| 2020 | 801.39 | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 794.56 | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 890.21 | +12.0% |
| 2024 | 927.38 | +4.2% |
| 2025 | 885.98 | -4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 680.52 | 661.9 | 699.13 | 2 |
| 2010s | 680.52 | 569.49 | 842.55 | 9 |
| 2020s | 859.9 | 794.56 | 927.38 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More work & labour data for Panama
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.192 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1956 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1888 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,652 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,175 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,950 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,955 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,905 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment outside the formal sector in Panama?
- Employment outside the formal sector in Panama was 885.98 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 927.38 in 2024.
- What is the lowest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 569.49 in 2011.
- How does Panama rank for employment outside the formal sector?
- Panama ranks 39th out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. This harmonized series for employment outside the formal sector is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. Data disaggregated by occupation are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCO. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.