wildlife
Panama sits at the junction of North and South America and has more bird species recorded than the US and Canada combined, despite its small size.
Panama
Republic of Panama
Population, GDP, and key facts about Panama — updated for 2026.
Capital · PANAMA CITYContinent · AMERICASISO · PAN
Panama quick facts
- Population
- 4,515,577
- Area
- 75,320 km²
- Population density
- 60 people/km²
- GDP
- US$ 86.5 Billion
- GDP per capita
- US$ 19.2K
- Capital
- Panama City
- Currency
- Panamanian balboa (B/., PAB) · also legal tender: United States dollar (USD)
- Minimum wage
- US$ 482.2/month · B/. 482/month (2024)
- Language
- Spanish
Panama at human scale
Where does Panama rank in the world?
Compare Panama with other countries
🇵🇦 vs 🇨🇷Compare Panama vs Costa Rica1.1× difference in population🇵🇦 vs 🇺🇾Compare Panama vs Uruguay1.3× difference in population🇵🇦 vs 🇰🇼Compare Panama vs Kuwait1.1× difference in population
Compare Panama with any country →Panama's energy mix
Fossil fuels · 32%Renewables · 68%
- Hydropower53%
- Natural gas21%
- Oil7%
- Solar7%
- Wind7%
- Coal4%
- Bioenergy0%
Share of Panama's own electricity generation by source, 2024. Source: Our World in Data (Ember Yearly Electricity Data and the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy).
Everything we know about Panama
geography
The Panama Canal, completed in 1914, cuts across the narrowest point of the isthmus and lets ships avoid the roughly 12,875 km detour around South America.
Countries near Panama
How many countries do you think Panama could fit?
Pour other countries into Panama's own outline, by real area, and see how many it takes to fill it up.
Fill the Country →Frequently asked questions about Panama
What is the capital of Panama?
The capital of Panama is Panama City.
What is Panama's population?
Panama has a population of 4,515,577.
What is Panama's GDP per capita?
Panama's GDP per capita is US$ 19.2K.
What is the currency of Panama?
The currency of Panama is the Panamanian balboa (PAB).
What is the minimum wage in Panama?
Panama's statutory minimum wage is about US$ 482.2 per month (as of 2024) — B/. 482 per month in local currency.
Is Panama bigger than Costa Rica?
Panama is about 1.5× the size of Costa Rica by land area.
Data from the World Bank, updated November 2026.