SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Panama
Panama: SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) was 8.31 in 2025. ▼ Falling
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Panama, 2000–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Panama is 8.31, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and up 88.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Panama peaked at 18.55 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.71, in 2012.
That places Panama 40th out of 179 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.53 | — |
| 2001 | 14.71 | +8.7% |
| 2002 | 14.11 | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 13.62 | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 12.44 | -8.6% |
| 2005 | 10.33 | -17.0% |
| 2006 | 9.11 | -11.8% |
| 2007 | 6.78 | -25.6% |
| 2009 | 5.11 | -24.7% |
| 2010 | 5.83 | +14.2% |
| 2011 | 3.92 | -32.8% |
| 2012 | 3.71 | -5.3% |
| 2013 | 3.73 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 4.44 | +19.1% |
| 2015 | 4.4 | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 4.84 | +10.0% |
| 2017 | 5.46 | +12.8% |
| 2018 | 5.31 | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 6.41 | +20.6% |
| 2020 | 18.55 | +189.4% |
| 2021 | 10.29 | -44.5% |
| 2022 | 8.28 | -19.5% |
| 2023 | 6.68 | -19.4% |
| 2024 | 8.61 | +28.9% |
| 2025 | 8.31 | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.08 | 5.11 | 14.71 | 9 |
| 2010s | 4.81 | 3.71 | 6.41 | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.12 | 6.68 | 18.55 | 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 sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Panama?
- Sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Panama was 8.31 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 18.55 in 2020.
- What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.71 in 2012.
- How does Panama rank for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition)?
- Panama ranks 40th out of 179 countries with data for 2025.
- Is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 88.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.