People

Population 3,242,173 (2007 estimate)
Population growth rate 1.56 percent (2007 estimate)
Projected population in 2025 4,109,552 (2007 estimate)
Projected population in 2050 5,038,122 (2007 estimate)
Population density 43 persons per sq km (2007 estimate) ; 111 persons per sq mi (2007 estimate)

Urban/rural distribution

Urban 58 percent (2005 estimate)
Rural 42 percent (2005 estimate)

Largest cities, with population

Panama City 813,097 (2005 estimate)
San Miguelito 339,090 (2005 estimate)
Colón 198,551 (2005 estimate)
David 138,241 (2005 estimate)
Penonomé 79,962 (2005 estimate)

Ethnic groups

Mestizo 70 percent
Native American and mixed black 14 percent
Caucasian (white) 10 percent
Native American 6 percent

Languages

Spanish (official), English, Creole; Kuna, Guaym*, and many indigenous dialects
NOTE: Many Panamanians are bilingual.

Religious affiliations

Roman Catholic 77 percent
Protestant 12 percent
Muslim 4 percent
Other 7 percent

Health and Education

Life expectancy

Total 75.2 years (2007 estimate)
Female 77.8 years (2007 estimate)
Male 72.7 years (2007 estimate)

Infant mortality rate 16 deaths per 1,000 live births (2007 estimate)
Population per physician 595 people (2004)
Population per hospital bed 400 people (2002)

Literacy rate

Total 93 percent (2005 estimate)
Female 92.4 percent (2005 estimate)
Male 93.7 percent (2005 estimate)

Education expenditure as a share of gross national product (GNP) 4.6 percent (2002-2003)
Number of years of compulsory schooling 6 years (2002-2003)
Number of students per teacher, primary school 24 students per teacher (2002-2003)

Government

Form of government Republic
Voting qualifications Universal and compulsory at age 18
Constitution 11 October 1972; amended 1983, 1998

Armed forces

Total number of military personnel 0 (1997)
Military expenditures as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) 0.9 percent (2003)

Economy

Gross domestic product (GDP, in U.S.$) $15.5 billion (2005)
GDP per capita (U.S.$) $4,786.20 (2005)
GDP by economic sector Agriculture, forestry, fishing 7.7 percent (2005)
Industry 16.4 percent (2005)
Services 75.9 percent (2005)

Employment

Number of workers 1,467,271 (2005)

Workforce share of economic sector

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 16 percent (2005)
Industry 17 percent (2005)
Services 67 percent (2005)
Unemployment rate 13.6 percent (2003)

National budget (U.S.$)

Total revenue $3,017 million (2001)
Total expenditure $2,736 million (2001)
Monetary unit 1 balboa (B), consisting of 100 centésimos
Major trade partners for exports United States, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Sweden, and Germany
Major trade partners for imports United States, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Japan

Energy, Communications, and Transportation

Electricity production
Electricity from thermal sources 47.94 percent (2003 estimate)
Electricity from hydroelectric sources 51.78 percent (2003 estimate)
Electricity from nuclear sources 0 percent (2003 estimate)
Electricity from geothermal, solar, and wind sources 0.28 percent (2003 estimate)

Number of radios per 1,000 people 299 (1997)
Number of telephones per 1,000 people 136 (2005)
Number of televisions per 1,000 people 195 (2000 estimate)
Number of Internet hosts per 10,000 people 23 (2003)
Daily newspaper circulation per 1,000 people 62 (1996)

Number of motor vehicles per 1,000 people 107 (2002)
Paved road as a share of total roads 35 percent (1999)