Share of employment outside the formal sector in Panama
Panama: Share of employment outside the formal sector was 45.01 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Share of employment outside the formal sector in Panama, 2003–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, share of employment outside the formal sector in Panama stood at 45.01.
That represents a change of 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 in Panama peaked at 57.21 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 37.03, in 2011.
Panama ranks 31st of 81 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of employment outside the formal sector in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 57.21 | — |
| 2008 | 49.98 | -12.6% |
| 2011 | 37.03 | -25.9% |
| 2012 | 37.86 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 37.88 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 38.22 | +0.9% |
| 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 5.33, 8.4× the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Panama's 45.01 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 46.78, 96% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 53.6 | 49.98 | 57.21 | 2 |
| 2010s | 39.14 | 37.03 | 43.89 | 9 |
| 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 in Panama?
- Share of employment outside the formal sector in Panama was 45.01 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest share of employment outside the formal sector recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 57.21 in 2003.
- What is the lowest share of employment outside the formal sector recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.03 in 2011.
- How does Panama rank for share of employment outside the formal sector?
- Panama ranks 31st out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). 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 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 economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.