Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Panama
Panama: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 19.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Panama, 1990–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Panama is 19.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and up 66.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Panama peaked at 40.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.6%, in 2012.
Panama ranks 43rd of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 21.6% | — |
| 2009 | 15.2% | -29.6% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | -11.2% |
| 2011 | 11.1% | -17.6% |
| 2012 | 9.6% | -13.6% |
| 2013 | 9.9% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 11.6% | +16.9% |
| 2015 | 11.7% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 12.3% | +5.3% |
| 2017 | 14.8% | +20.6% |
| 2018 | 14.1% | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 17.1% | +21.0% |
| 2020 | 40.1% | +135.0% |
| 2021 | 22.4% | -44.2% |
| 2022 | 19.1% | -14.4% |
| 2023 | 16.7% | -12.6% |
| 2024 | 19.7% | +17.8% |
| 2025 | 19.5% | -1.1% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 19.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 13.9%, 1.4× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Panama's 19.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15.1%, 1.3× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Panama changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +135.0% | 17.1% | 40.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.6% | 21.6% | 21.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 15.2% | 15.2% | 15.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 12.6% | 9.6% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.9% | 16.7% | 40.1% | 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 unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Panama?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Panama was 19.5% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 40.1% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.6% in 2012.
- How does Panama rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Panama ranks 43rd out of 160 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 66.7%. 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 Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.