Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Panama
Panama: Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) was 45.01 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Panama, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Panama recorded 45.01 for share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in 2025.
The figure is down 6.6% on the previous year and up 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Panama peaked at 49.11 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 37.88, in 2015.
Panama ranks 7th of 46 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 38.22 | — |
| 2015 | 37.88 | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 39.23 | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 39.14 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 41.16 | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 43.89 | +6.6% |
| 2020 | 49.11 | +11.9% |
| 2021 | 45.58 | -7.2% |
| 2023 | 45.95 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 48.21 | +4.9% |
| 2025 | 45.01 | -6.6% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 45.01 is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.95, 9.1× the median. (32 countries reporting)
- Panama's 45.01 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 36.07, 1.2× the median. (7 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 39.92 | 37.88 | 43.89 | 6 |
| 2020s | 46.77 | 45.01 | 49.11 | 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 share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Panama?
- Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Panama was 45.01 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 49.11 in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.88 in 2015.
- How does Panama rank for share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition)?
- Panama ranks 7th out of 46 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.8%. 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 Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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 includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. 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. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.