Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Panama
Panama: Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) was 1.3% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Armed forces personnel in Panama, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in Panama is 1.3%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 30 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and up 85.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Panama peaked at 1.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2014.
That places Panama 50th out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Panama, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.3% | — |
| 1991 | 1.3% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.1% | -12.5% |
| 1993 | 1.1% | -4.4% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | +3.2% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | -4.4% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 0.8% | -4.1% |
| 2006 | 0.8% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | -4.5% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 0.7% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 0.7% | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | +80.1% |
| 2016 | 1.1% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | +16.0% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 1.3% | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | +1.3% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 1.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.9%, 1.4× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Panama's 1.3% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.9%, 1.5× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +80.1% | 0.7% | 1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More public sector data for Panama
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 2.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (1989)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.832 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (1989)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0003 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (1989)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -91.3 % change on previous year (1989)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Panama?
- Armed forces personnel in Panama was 1.3% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 1.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2014.
- How does Panama rank for armed forces personnel?
- Panama ranks 50th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 85.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Labor force comprises all people who meet the International Labour Organization's definition of the economically active population.