Freedom in Panama
Where Panama sits on every statistic this site carries, each against the countries the same source covers. Panama has a figure for 54 of 60 indicators.
Personal
What a person may say, believe, publish, join and where they may go.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of expression | 0.812 | 2025 | 56 of 163 |
| Freedom of association | 0.881 | 2025 | 25 of 163 |
| Civil liberties | 0.874 | 2025 | 44 of 163 |
| Freedom from political violence | 0.936 | 2025 | 35 of 163 |
| Equal protection of rights | 0.548 | 2025 | 101 of 163 |
| Academic freedom | 0.914 | 2025 | 13 of 163 |
| Media censorship effort | 0.827 | 2025 | 67 of 163 |
| Harassment of journalists | 0.707 | 2025 | 75 of 163 |
| Media self-censorship | 0.657 | 2025 | 71 of 163 |
| Universal right to vote | 1.000 | 2025 | 98 of 167 |
| Legal rights for women | 79.4 | 2023 | 96 of 164 |
| Women can get a passport as men do | 1.000 | 2023 | 102 of 164 |
| Access to justice for women | 0.000 | 2025 | 122 of 163 |
| Access to justice for men | 0.000 | 2025 | 126 of 163 |
| Civil liberties score | 47.0 | 2025 | 46 of 167 |
| Political rights score | 35.0 | 2025 | 37 of 167 |
Economic
What a person may own, trade, earn and keep.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax revenue as a share of GDP | 7.2% | 2024 | 5 of 83 |
| Foreign investment inflows | 1.0% | 2025 | 56 of 87 |
| Regulatory quality | 53.7 | 2024 | 75 of 169 |
| GDP per capita | $37.5K | 2025 | 45 of 157 |
| GDP growth | 4.4% | 2025 | — |
| Inflation | -0.2% | 2025 | — |
| Unemployment | 8.4% | 2025 | 123 of 163 |
| Income inequality | 48.900 | 2023 | — |
| Extreme poverty | 3.7% | 2023 | 42 of 55 |
Digital
What a person may read, send and encrypt online, and who is watching.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet use | 72.8% | 2024 | 96 of 154 |
Government
How power is held, checked and abused.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral democracy | 0.728 | 2025 | 45 of 163 |
| Liberal democracy | 0.575 | 2025 | 44 of 163 |
| Rule of law | 0.692 | 2025 | 62 of 163 |
| Judicial checks on government | 0.694 | 2025 | 75 of 163 |
| Legislative checks on government | 0.808 | 2025 | 47 of 157 |
| Political corruption | 0.485 | 2025 | 75 of 163 |
| Civil society participation | 0.632 | 2025 | 105 of 163 |
| Women’s political empowerment | 0.742 | 2025 | 89 of 163 |
| Voice and accountability | 64.6 | 2024 | 43 of 170 |
| Control of corruption | 36.6 | 2024 | 100 of 170 |
| Government effectiveness | 56.1 | 2024 | 59 of 169 |
| Political stability | 70.4 | 2024 | 57 of 170 |
Society
Health, schooling, safety and who takes part.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index | 0.839 | 2023 | 49 of 165 |
| Life expectancy | 79.8 | 2024 | 36 of 170 |
| Adult literacy | 96.2% | 2024 | 8 of 27 |
| Government spending on education | 2.5% | 2023 | — |
| Health spending | 8.3% | 2023 | — |
| Health costs paid out of pocket | 40.5% | 2023 | 114 of 164 |
| Maternal mortality | 37.0 | 2023 | 79 of 167 |
| Women in parliament | 21.7% | 2025 | 99 of 156 |
| Women in the workforce | 54.9% | 2025 | — |
| Fertility rate | 2.11 | 2024 | — |
| Urban population | 66.2% | 2025 | — |
| Refugees who left | 7.4 | 2024 | 61 of 168 |
| Population | 4.6M | 2025 | — |
Environment
Energy, emissions and access to power.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ emissions per person | 2.74 | 2024 | 85 of 165 |
| Renewable energy use | 28.0% | 2021 | 78 of 169 |
| Access to electricity | 96.0% | 2024 | 107 of 169 |
What is missing
6 of the 60 statistics here have no figure for Panama in the year they were last ranked. Coverage differs by source: an indicator missing here is one its producer does not publish for Panama, not a zero. Who publishes what