Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Panama
Panama: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 40.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Panama, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Panama recorded 40.6% for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in 2025.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Panama peaked at 44.3% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 30.6%, in 2008.
Panama ranks 77th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 37.2% | — |
| 1992 | 37.1% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 36.9% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 36.7% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 36.6% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 36.5% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 36.4% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 36.8% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 37.2% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 37.7% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 38.2% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 38.7% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 39.1% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 38.8% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 38.5% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 38.2% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 35.8% | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 30.6% | -14.5% |
| 2009 | 36.5% | +19.1% |
| 2010 | 36.2% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 34.1% | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 34.1% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 34.4% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 34.8% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 35.8% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 37.9% | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 37.2% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 39.5% | +6.2% |
| 2019 | 41.3% | +4.5% |
| 2020 | 41.2% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 40.9% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 44.3% | +8.5% |
| 2023 | 38.9% | -12.2% |
| 2024 | 40.6% | +4.4% |
| 2025 | 40.6% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 36.8% | 36.4% | 37.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 37.2% | 30.6% | 39.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.5% | 34.1% | 41.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.1% | 38.9% | 44.3% | 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 self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Panama?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Panama was 40.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 44.3% in 2022.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.6% in 2008.
- How does Panama rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Panama ranks 77th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Self-employed workers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners or in cooperative, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs." i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced. Self-employed workers include sub-categories of employers, own-account workers and members of producers' cooperatives and contributing family workers.