Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Panama
Panama: Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median was 23.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Panama, 1979–2024
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Panama recorded 23.2% for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in 2024.
The figure is up 5.8% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Panama peaked at 30.2% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 21.4%, in 2021.
That places Panama 2nd out of 120 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Panama, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 23.7% | — |
| 1989 | 30.2% | +27.4% |
| 1991 | 28.7% | -5.0% |
| 1995 | 28.3% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 26.8% | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 26.8% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 26.0% | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 26.5% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 27.6% | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 26.5% | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 25.6% | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 25.9% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 25.2% | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 25.5% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 25.0% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 23.3% | -6.8% |
| 2009 | 23.2% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 23.2% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 22.8% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 23.0% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 23.9% | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 23.1% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 22.6% | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 22.9% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 23.5% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 22.3% | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 22.8% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 21.4% | -5.8% |
| 2023 | 22.0% | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 23.2% | +5.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 23.7% | 23.7% | 23.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 30.2% | 30.2% | 30.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 27.3% | 26.0% | 28.7% | 5 |
| 2000s | 25.4% | 23.2% | 27.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.0% | 22.3% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.2% | 21.4% | 23.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More poverty & inequality data for Panama
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 7 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 2.12 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 4,226 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -5.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 12.5 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 12.5% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Panama?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Panama was 23.2% in 2024, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 30.2% in 1989.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.4% in 2021.
- How does Panama rank for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median?
- Panama ranks 2nd out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 50% of the median.