The world’s gaze was focused upon Panama in 2016as never before with the leak in April and May ofthe so-called Panama Papers, some 11.5 million

confidential documents from the database of the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, which had assisted com-panies and individuals from more than 200 countries(including 12 current or former heads of state) in secret-ing their money in offshore accounts, tax havens, and shellcompanies. Among those incrimi-nated was Icelandic Prime MinisterSigmundur Davið Gunnlaugsson.Responding to the revelations,Panama’s government created aninternational panel to investigate thecountry’s offshore financial industry.(See Special Report on page 304).

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 pop-ulation (2015): 18.9(world avg. 19.5).

Death rate per 1,000population (2015): 5.0(world avg. 8.1).

Natural increase rate per1,000 population(2015): 13.9 (world avg.11.4).

Life expectancy at birth(2015): male 75.7 years;female 81.4 years.

DemographyPopulation (2016): 4,186,000.Density (2016): persons per sq mi 144.6,persons per sq km 55.8.

Sex distribution (2015): male 50.35%;female 49.65%.

Population projection: (2020) 4,438,000;(2030) 5,015,000.

Major cities/districts (2010):Panama City 430,299/880,691 (urban agglomera-tion [2015] 1,672,810); SanMiguelito 315,0192;Arraiján 41,041/220,779;Colón 34,655/206,553; LaChorrera 62,803/161,470.

Urban-rural (2015):

Panama

Official name: República de Panamá (Republicof Panama).

Form of government: multiparty republic withone legislative house (National Assembly [71]).

Head of state and government: President JuanCarlos Varela.

Capital: Panama City.Official language: Spanish.Official religion: none.Monetary unit: balboa (B); valuation (Sept. 1,2016) 1 U.S.$ = B 1.001; 1 £ = B 1.33.

Ethnic composition (2010):

Age breakdown (2015):

Religious affiliation (2008):

Area and populationarea population

2014Provinces Capitals sq mi sq km estimate

Bocas del Toro Bocas del Toro 1,777 4,601 152,004Chiriquí David 2,501 6,477 448,329Coclé Penonomé 1,902 4,927 254,601Colón Colón 1,888 4,891 272,402Darién La Palma 4,581 11,866 53,690Herrera Chitré 904 2,341 117,826Los Santos Las Tablas 1,469 3,805 94,984Panamá Panama City 3,539 9,166 1,489,925Panamá Oeste La Chorrera 1,076 2,786 540,032Veraguas Santiago 4,122 10,677 243,491

Indigenous districtsEmberá Unión Chocoe 1,698 4,398 11,583Kuna Yala (San Blas) El Porvenir 924 2,393 41,546Ngöbe Buglé Llano Tugri 2,577 6,673 192,862TOTAL 28,9573 75,001 3,913,275

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National economyBudget (2013). Revenue: B 9,628,742,000 (tax revenue 50.5%, of which

income taxes 23.4%, indirect taxes 23.3%; nontax rev-enue 19.4%, of which revenue from Panama Canal,n.a.). Expenditures: B 9,628,737,000 (current expendi-ture 54.9%, of which debt servicing 13.3%, health10.9%, education 10.6%, public order 5.1%; develop-ment expenditure 45.1%).

Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,forestry, fishing (2014): sugarcane 2,482,224, bananas313,0005, rice 281,235, corn (maize) 154,950, pineapples108,0005, plantains 107,0005, palm fruit oil 55,920,oranges 44,1185, potatoes 24,150, cassava 23,510, yams19,560, coffee 10,1005, papayas 7,2145, yautia 4,680; live-stock (number of live animals) 1,633,800 cattle, 345,700

pigs, 116,000 horses; roundwood (2015) 1,261,798 cu m, of which fuel-wood 84%; fisheries production 169,891 (from aquaculture 6%).Mining and quarrying (2014): limestone (2009) 270,000; gold (metalcontent) 3,000 kg. Manufacturing (value added in B ’000,000; 2006):food and food products 468; beverages 167; cement, bricks, andceramics 82; printing and publishing 64; fabricated metal products 61.Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 2014)9,161,000,000 (7,402,000,000), by source (2012): fossil fuels 35.9%;renewable energy 64.1%, of which hydroelectric 63.8%, biomass 0.3%;coal, none (none); crude petroleum, none (none); petroleum products(metric tons; 2011) none (2,657,000); natural gas, none (none).

Population economically active (2015): total 1,587,000; participationrates: age 15 and over, male 78.0%; female 51.0%; unemployed 4.5%,of which youth (ages 15–24) 15.0%.

Average household size (2010): 3.2.Gross national income (GNI; 2015): U.S.$47,342,000,000 (U.S.$12,050per capita); purchasing power parity GNI (U.S.$20,710 per capita).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2014): U.S.$14,060,000,000.Land use as % of total land area (2011): in temporary crops or left fal-low 7.3%, in permanent crops 2.5%, in pasture 20.7%, forest area43.6%.

MilitaryTotal active duty personnel (November2015): none12. Paramilitary expenditureas percentage of GDP (2015): 1.4%; percapita expenditure U.S.$162.

Foreign trade8, 9

Imports (2013): B 13,035,391,000 (mineral products20.9%; machinery and apparatus 19.1%; foodproducts and live animals 11.6%; transportationequipment 11.1%; chemicals and chemical prod-ucts 8.4%). Major import sources (2014):

Exports (2013): B 843,913,000 (live animals and ani-mal products 23.5%, of which prawns 8.9%; veg-etables and vegetable products 21.7%; preparedfoodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco 13.2%; bananas10.7%). Major export destinations (2014):

Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads (2005)10: route length (2014) 48 mi,

77 km; passenger-km 44,734,000,000; metric ton-km cargo138,104,000,000. Roads (2014): total length 9,735 mi,15,667 km (paved 43%). Vehicles (2014): passengercars 485,284; trucks and buses 146,120. PanamaCanal traffic (2014–15): number of transits 13,874;net tonnage transiting 229,148,953 metric tons.

Education and healthLiteracy (2015): percentage of total populationage 15 and over literate 95.0%; males literate95.7%; females literate 94.4%.

Health (2014): physicians 6,420 (1 per 610 per-sons); hospital beds 8,749 (1 per 447 persons);infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births(2015) 14.6; undernourished population(2006–08) 500,000 (15% of total populationbased on the consumption of a minimum dailyrequirement of 1,790 calories).

1The Panama balboa (B) is pegged to the U.S. dollar (U.S.$) at a rate of 1 U.S.$ = B 1.00. 2District adjacentto Panama City within Panama City urban agglomeration. 3Detail does not add to total given because of round-ing. 4At prices of 2007. 52013. 6Taxes and import duties less imputed bank service charges and less subsidies.7Unemployed. 8Imports c.i.f.; exports f.o.b. 9Excludes trade passing through Colón Free Zone (2013 [prelimi-nary] imports c.i.f. B 12,685,545,000, reexports f.o.b. B 14,735,510). 10All data for Panama Canal Railway.11Subscribers. 12Military abolished 1990; 12,000-member paramilitary includes air and maritime units.

Internet resource for further information:• Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo www.contraloria.gob.pa/inec/

Communications units unitsnumber per 1,000 number per 1,000

Medium date in ’000s persons Medium date in ’000s persons

TelephonesCellular 2015 6,94711 1,74211

Landline 2015 620 156

Internet users 2009 960 278Broadband 2015 31611 7911

Structure of gross domestic product and labour force2014

in value % of total labour % of labourB ’000,0004 value4 force force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1,032.4 3.0 266,200 14.9Mining and quarrying 602.8 1.8 3,600 0.2Manufacturing 1,956.7 5.8 124,900 7.0Construction 5,351.8 15.8 196,100 11.0Public utilities 1,199.0 3.5 15,800 0.9Transp. and commun. 4,887.1 14.5 133,100 7.5Trade, restaurants 6,927.2 20.5 388,300 21.8Finance, real estate 7,455.4 22.1 159,800 9.0Pub. admin., defense 961.0 2.8 103,600 5.8Services 2,844.0 8.4 304,100 17.1Other 690.76 2.06 85,9007 4.87

TOTAL 33,908.13 100.03 1,781,3003 100.0

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