Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Panama
Panama: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 62.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Panama, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Panama recorded 62.5% for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Panama peaked at 66.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 51.6%, in 1980.
That places Panama 101st out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 56.6% | — |
| 1970 | 58.6% | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 57.6% | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 51.6% | -10.4% |
| 1983 | 56.1% | +8.7% |
| 1984 | 56.1% | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 56.9% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 55.6% | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 56.9% | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 58.0% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 54.8% | -5.6% |
| 1991 | 57.4% | +4.7% |
| 1993 | 60.4% | +5.2% |
| 1994 | 60.7% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 61.7% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 61.5% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 60.7% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 61.2% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 58.8% | -4.0% |
| 2001 | 57.4% | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 62.7% | +9.2% |
| 2003 | 62.8% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 63.1% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 63.3% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 62.3% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 62.2% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 63.7% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 63.1% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 61.5% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 63.1% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 63.9% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 63.8% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 63.7% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 63.9% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 63.5% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 64.9% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 66.0% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 63.0% | -4.7% |
| 2021 | 59.6% | -5.3% |
| 2022 | 62.9% | +5.5% |
| 2023 | 61.9% | -1.7% |
| 2024 | 62.7% | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 62.5% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 56.6% | 56.6% | 56.6% | 1 |
| 1970s | 58.1% | 57.6% | 58.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 55.9% | 51.6% | 58.0% | 7 |
| 1990s | 59.8% | 54.8% | 61.7% | 8 |
| 2000s | 61.8% | 57.4% | 63.7% | 9 |
| 2010s | 63.7% | 61.5% | 66.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.1% | 59.6% | 63.0% | 6 |
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 labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Panama?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Panama was 62.5% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 66.0% in 2019.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.6% in 1980.
- How does Panama rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Panama ranks 101st out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.