Panama population pyramid 2026
Latin America and the Caribbean · Central America
4,625,718 people in 2026 (projected). Panama’s pyramid is unusually smooth, with no war scars or baby-boom bulges, and its widest band is now children aged 10–14 rather than infants.
- 2026 population
- 4.6Mrank 129 of 237
- Median age
- 30.6 yearsoldest rank 131
- Fertility rate
- 2.07births per woman · close to replacement
- Structure
- Transitional10.0% age 65+
Panama population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Panama age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 24.1% of the population, while 10.0% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 65.9% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Panama’s age structure as transitional; the guide to population pyramid types explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 51.8: about 52 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (36.7 children and 15.1 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Panama’s population pyramid
A textbook transition without interruptions
Many pyramids are hard to read because wars, famines or policy shocks have cut notches into them. Panama’s is not. Fertility fell gradually and without reversals, from about 5.8 children per woman in 1960 to 3.8 in 1980, 2.7 in 2000 and about 2.1 today, while life expectancy rose from about 55 years in 1950 to almost 80 in 2023, one of the higher levels in Latin America. The result is a clean illustration of the stages of the demographic transition: a broad-based triangle in 1950 and 1975, a smoothly tapering shape in 2000, and in 2026 a profile that is beginning to round off at the bottom.
In 2026 the widest band is ages 10–14, born about 2012–16, and the two younger bands are progressively narrower. From the teenage years to the early forties each band is only about 2–5% smaller than the one below it, so the middle of the chart has nearly straight sides. Above 45 the slope steepens, because these cohorts were born when the whole population was much smaller: Panama had fewer than a million people in 1950.
Balanced sexes, modest migration
Overall there are exactly 100 men per 100 women. Men are in a slight majority up to about age 45, reflecting the usual excess of boys at birth, and women become the majority after that; at ages 80–84 there are about 73 men for every 100 women, in line with a life expectancy gap of almost six years between women (83.0) and men (77.3).
Migration has done little to shape the chart. The UN estimates small net emigration before 2000 and net immigration of about 140,000 between 2000 and 2023, a period of rapid economic growth around the canal and its expansion, but these flows are small next to the 1.8 million births recorded over the same years. The structure is therefore close to those of Mexico, Peru and Morocco, which went through similar fertility declines.
Under the UN medium scenario Panama keeps growing for decades, to about 5.6 million in 2050 and a peak of about 6.0 million in 2080, with deaths first exceeding births in 2078. The share aged 65 and over is projected to nearly double, from 10% in 2026 to about 19% in 2050.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Panama’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2078. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2050.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Panama is projected to record 71,573 births (about 196 births a day) and 23,224 deaths, a natural increase of 48,349. Net migration adds +5,665 people, ranking #67 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 1,791,750 births, 428,643 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +143,440. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +76,043 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 83.0 years56.6 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 77.3 years54.4 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 20.4 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 9.7per 1,000 births · 83 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 12.4per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 27.5 yearssex ratio at birth 105.2
Women in Panama are projected to live 5.7 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 83 to 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #116 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 27.5 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Panama
The median age of 30.6 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 2.07 births per woman is close to the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 80.1 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,625,718 | #129 | Largest first |
| Median age | 30.6 years | #131 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 2.07 | #105 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +1.2% | #85 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 80.1 years | #59 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 10.0% | #119 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Panama
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10–14 | 387,986 | 8.4% | 198.8K / 189.2K |
| 2 | 5–9 | 373,881 | 8.1% | 192.1K / 181.8K |
| 3 | 15–19 | 372,654 | 8.1% | 190.3K / 182.4K |
| 4 | 20–24 | 361,528 | 7.8% | 184.2K / 177.3K |
| 5 | 0–4 | 355,077 | 7.7% | 182K / 173.1K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Panama has 2,312,602 males and 2,313,116 females. That is 100.0 males per 100 females, ranking #77 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 50.0% of the population and females for 50.0%. There are 514 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 82.6 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 105.2 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Panama has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 860,850 in 1950 to 4,625,718 in 2026, a change of 437%. Over the same span, median age moved from 17.7 to 30.6 years.
The under-15 share changed from 42.4% to 24.1%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 3.5% to 10.0%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Panama’s population is projected to grow by about 22%, reaching 5,630,680 in 2050. The median age changes from 30.6 to 38.2 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 8.5 percentage points to 18.5%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 18.4%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 6,029,734 in 2080. That turning point depends on the medium scenario and may move in later revisions. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 860,850 | 17.7 | 5.57 | 55.4 | 34,787 | 11,144 | −3,140 | +2.4% |
| 1960 | 1,126,004 | 16.7 | 5.83 | 60.3 | 46,238 | 10,808 | −2,409 | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 1,513,070 | 16.5 | 5.18 | 64.1 | 56,535 | 11,460 | −2,476 | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 1,957,534 | 18.0 | 3.80 | 69.5 | 59,476 | 10,399 | −2,701 | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 2,455,583 | 20.5 | 3.07 | 71.3 | 65,894 | 12,445 | −854 | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 3,010,368 | 23.3 | 2.74 | 73.4 | 70,773 | 14,538 | +2,602 | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 3,628,535 | 25.9 | 2.59 | 76.4 | 76,140 | 16,725 | +4,953 | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 4,293,261 | 28.7 | 2.18 | 76.3 | 71,775 | 25,176 | +5,473 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 4,458,759 | 29.6 | 2.12 | 79.6 | 71,469 | 21,272 | +7,262 | +1.3% |
| 2024* | 4,515,577 | 29.9 | 2.11 | 79.8 | 71,650 | 22,189 | +6,706 | +1.2% |
| 2026* | 4,625,718 | 30.6 | 2.07 | 80.1 | 71,573 | 23,224 | +5,665 | +1.2% |
| 2030* | 4,833,858 | 31.9 | 2.01 | 80.9 | 71,262 | 25,509 | +4,220 | +1.0% |
| 2040* | 5,286,592 | 35.1 | 1.92 | 82.6 | 70,404 | 32,413 | +2,148 | +0.8% |
| 2050* | 5,630,680 | 38.2 | 1.86 | 84.1 | 66,757 | 40,748 | +2,433 | +0.5% |
| 2060* | 5,855,660 | 41.2 | 1.81 | 85.4 | 63,548 | 48,971 | +2,642 | +0.3% |
| 2070* | 5,984,212 | 43.3 | 1.79 | 86.7 | 61,372 | 55,310 | +2,639 | +0.1% |
| 2080* | 6,029,734 | 45.1 | 1.76 | 87.9 | 58,165 | 60,463 | +2,616 | +0.0% |
| 2090* | 5,996,317 | 46.7 | 1.75 | 89.0 | 55,210 | 64,409 | +2,697 | -0.1% |
| 2100* | 5,904,927 | 48.0 | 1.74 | 90.1 | 52,913 | 66,953 | +2,432 | -0.2% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 182,001 | 173,076 | 355,077 | 7.7% |
| 5–9 | 192,083 | 181,798 | 373,881 | 8.1% |
| 10–14 | 198,827 | 189,159 | 387,986 | 8.4% |
| 15–19 | 190,298 | 182,356 | 372,654 | 8.1% |
| 20–24 | 184,218 | 177,310 | 361,528 | 7.8% |
| 25–29 | 179,077 | 173,903 | 352,980 | 7.6% |
| 30–34 | 171,388 | 168,415 | 339,803 | 7.3% |
| 35–39 | 164,547 | 162,411 | 326,958 | 7.1% |
| 40–44 | 155,243 | 154,032 | 309,275 | 6.7% |
| 45–49 | 140,138 | 140,196 | 280,334 | 6.1% |
| 50–54 | 130,768 | 132,633 | 263,401 | 5.7% |
| 55–59 | 117,049 | 120,990 | 238,039 | 5.1% |
| 60–64 | 98,243 | 104,009 | 202,252 | 4.4% |
| 65–69 | 75,813 | 82,010 | 157,823 | 3.4% |
| 70–74 | 56,161 | 63,621 | 119,782 | 2.6% |
| 75–79 | 37,755 | 46,361 | 84,116 | 1.8% |
| 80–84 | 22,877 | 31,391 | 54,268 | 1.2% |
| 85–89 | 11,524 | 18,689 | 30,213 | 0.7% |
| 90–94 | 3,773 | 8,077 | 11,850 | 0.3% |
| 95–99 | 750 | 2,299 | 3,049 | 0.1% |
| 100+ | 73 | 382 | 455 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Panama’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Mexico98% overlap · median age 30.0
- Peru98% overlap · median age 30.5
- Morocco98% overlap · median age 30.1
- Indonesia97% overlap · median age 30.7
- Suriname97% overlap · median age 28.9
- Myanmar97% overlap · median age 30.4
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Panama.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Panama Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/panama/
MLA
“Panama Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/panama/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Panama Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/panama/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Panama in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Panama's population in 2026 is projected at 4,625,718.
What is the median age in Panama?
The projected median age in Panama in 2026 is 30.6 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Panama?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 2.07 births per woman, close to the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Panama's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 22%, from 4.6M to 5.6M.
What share of Panama is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 10.0% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 18.5%.
How many babies are born in Panama each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 71,573 births and 23,224 deaths in 2026, about 196 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 48,349.
What is life expectancy in Panama for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 83.0 years for women and 77.3 years for men, a gap of 5.7 years in favour of women.
Does Panama have more immigrants or emigrants?
Panama is projected to gain about 5,665 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +143,440.
What is the sex ratio in Panama?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 100.0 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.