Armed forces personnel, total in Panama
Panama: Armed forces personnel, total was 28,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Panama, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Panama is 28,000, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.
That represents a change of up 133.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Panama peaked at 28,000 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 11,000, in 1990.
That places Panama 89th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 12,000 | — |
| 1989 | 14,000 | +16.7% |
| 1990 | 11,000 | -21.4% |
| 1991 | 12,000 | +9.1% |
| 1992 | 11,000 | -8.3% |
| 1993 | 11,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 11,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 11,800 | +7.3% |
| 1996 | 11,800 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 11,800 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 11,800 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 11,800 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 11,800 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 11,800 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 11,800 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 11,800 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 12,000 | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 22,050 | +83.8% |
| 2016 | 22,050 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 26,000 | +17.9% |
| 2018 | 26,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 28,000 | +7.7% |
| 2020 | 28,000 | +0.0% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 28,000 is above the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 1.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Panama's 28,000 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 28,500, 98% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13,000 | 12,000 | 14,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 11,500 | 11,000 | 12,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 11,911 | 11,800 | 12,000 | 9 |
| 2010s | 18,410 | 12,000 | 28,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 28,000 | 28,000 | 28,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More public sector data for Panama
- Democracy, 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)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Panama?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Panama was 28,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 28,000 in 2019.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 11,000 in 1990.
- How does Panama rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Panama ranks 89th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 133.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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, total. 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.