Panama at its true size
Panama covers 74,177 km², number 116 of 194 countries by area. Home to 4,571,189 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 74,177 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 4,571,189 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 62 per km² |
| Capital | Panama City |
| Local time in Panama City | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 IANA |
| Currency | United States dollar (USD), Panamanian balboa (PAB) Wikidata |
| Languages | Spanish |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | Central America, North America |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +507 |
| Codes | PA · PAN · 591 |
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Where Panama ranks
Among the independent states, in 44 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#127 of 1944.6 million people#12 of 23 in North America
- Population density#124 of 19462 people per km²#18 of 23 in North America
- Urban population#85 of 19266% urban#10 of 23 in North America
- Fertility rate#91 of 1922.11 births per woman#6 of 23 in North America
- Population growth#80 of 192+1.22% a year#5 of 23 in North America
- Birth rate#94 of 19215.9 births per 1,000 people#7 of 23 in North America
- Death rate#173 of 1924.9 deaths per 1,000 people#20 of 23 in North America
- Children under 15#93 of 19224.5% under 15#7 of 23 in North America
- People over 65#81 of 1929.7% aged 65 and over#14 of 23 in North America
- Net migration#44 of 192+1.3 per 1,000 people#4 of 23 in North America
- Refugees abroad#122 of 1900.08 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#20 of 23 in North America
Health & education
- Life expectancy#42 of 19279.8 years#3 of 23 in North America
- Infant mortality#100 of 19112.0 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#12 of 23 in North America
- Doctors#91 of 1781.63 doctors per 1,000 people#11 of 20 in North America
- University enrolment#71 of 14553.7% gross enrolment#4 of 15 in North America
- Human Development Index#58 of 190an index of 0.839#5 of 23 in North America
Economy
- GNI per capita#57 of 185$19,140 a person#7 of 22 in North America
- Internet users#113 of 18473% online#13 of 23 in North America
- GDP per capita (PPP)#52 of 184$43,902 a person#3 of 22 in North America
- GDP growth#58 of 187+4.4% a year#4 of 23 in North America
- Inflation#167 of 176−0.2% a year#22 of 22 in North America
- Unemployment#47 of 1788.4% of the labour force#6 of 19 in North America
- Extreme poverty#63 of 1493.1% under $3.00 a day#4 of 14 in North America
- Income inequality (Gini)#10 of 149a Gini index of 49.7#1 of 14 in North America
- Jobs in agriculture#89 of 17816.0% of jobs#6 of 19 in North America
- Jobs in industry#113 of 17817.0% of jobs#12 of 19 in North America
- Jobs in services#64 of 17867.0% of jobs#13 of 19 in North America
- Foreign investment#126 of 1841.0% of GDP#18 of 23 in North America
- Exports#57 of 16844.4% of GDP#3 of 15 in North America
- Military spending#153 of 1550.0% of GDP#13 of 14 in North America
- Mobile subscriptions#22 of 191157 subscriptions per 100 people#3 of 23 in North America
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#87 of 1852.74 tonnes a person#10 of 23 in North America
- Forest area#22 of 19262% forest#3 of 23 in North America
- Renewable energy#84 of 19028.0% renewable#7 of 23 in North America
- Access to electricity#126 of 19296.0% with electricity#18 of 23 in North America
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#115 of 19115.1 µg/m³#10 of 23 in North America
- Protected land#28 of 19131.4% of the land protected#3 of 23 in North America
- Arable land#117 of 1906.7% of the land arable#16 of 23 in North America
- Water stress#163 of 1760.9% of its available fresh water#22 of 22 in North America
- Precipitation#5 of 1802,928 mm a year#1 of 23 in North America
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Panama’s area, lit up on the map →
- Sierra Leone1.03×Panama is 3% larger than Sierra Leone.
- Ireland1.06×Panama is 6% larger than Ireland.
- Czechia0.94×Panama is 6% smaller than Czechia.
- Georgia1.06×Panama is 6% larger than Georgia.
- United Arab Emirates0.89×Panama is 11% smaller than United Arab Emirates.
- Sri Lanka1.13×Panama is 13% larger than Sri Lanka.
How many times does Panama fit into…
- Russia: about 230 times
- Canada: about 135 times
- United States: about 132 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Panama shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Rivers
- Panama Canal82 km
Lakes
- Lago Gatun436 km²
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Panama. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Panama
- How big is Panama?
- Panama covers 74,177 km², which makes it number 116 of 194 countries by area. About 4,571,189 people live there (2025), 62 per km².
- Is Panama bigger than Sierra Leone?
- Panama is 3% larger than Sierra Leone. Panama: 74,177 km²; Sierra Leone: 71,740 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Panama?
- Panama lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Panama?
- Panama shares a land border with Colombia, Costa Rica.