Current account balance in Panama
Panama: Current account balance was -0.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Panama, 1977–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, current account balance in Panama stood at -0.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 128.5% on the previous year and up 97.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Panama peaked at 12.2% in 1988 and was at its lowest, -13.0%, in 2014.
Panama ranks 82nd of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Panama, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | -5.7% | — |
| 1978 | -6.4% | +12.8% |
| 1979 | -8.4% | +31.1% |
| 1980 | -7.1% | -15.1% |
| 1981 | -10.2% | +43.8% |
| 1982 | -3.4% | -67.2% |
| 1983 | 3.4% | -199.7% |
| 1984 | -3.3% | -197.5% |
| 1985 | 1.1% | -135.1% |
| 1986 | -1.5% | -226.7% |
| 1987 | 8.0% | -648.6% |
| 1988 | 12.2% | +53.1% |
| 1989 | 1.9% | -84.6% |
| 1990 | 3.2% | +72.5% |
| 1991 | -3.4% | -204.9% |
| 1992 | -3.3% | -3.6% |
| 1993 | -1.1% | -66.8% |
| 1994 | 0.2% | -115.6% |
| 1995 | -4.9% | -2995.3% |
| 1996 | -2.2% | -55.6% |
| 1997 | -5.0% | +131.0% |
| 1998 | -9.1% | +80.7% |
| 1999 | -10.0% | +9.6% |
| 2000 | -5.8% | -41.5% |
| 2001 | -1.6% | -73.3% |
| 2002 | -0.9% | -43.3% |
| 2003 | -4.2% | +378.6% |
| 2004 | -6.9% | +63.7% |
| 2005 | -6.4% | -7.5% |
| 2006 | -2.5% | -61.3% |
| 2007 | -5.4% | +119.0% |
| 2008 | -8.9% | +63.7% |
| 2009 | -0.8% | -91.4% |
| 2010 | -10.3% | +1251.6% |
| 2011 | -12.7% | +22.6% |
| 2012 | -9.0% | -29.1% |
| 2013 | -8.7% | -3.1% |
| 2014 | -13.0% | +49.3% |
| 2015 | -8.7% | -33.0% |
| 2016 | -7.5% | -13.2% |
| 2017 | -5.8% | -22.8% |
| 2018 | -7.9% | +35.4% |
| 2019 | -5.1% | -34.7% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | -104.2% |
| 2021 | -1.2% | -663.8% |
| 2022 | -0.4% | -70.2% |
| 2023 | -3.2% | +782.7% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -120.6% |
| 2025 | -0.2% | -128.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -6.8% | -8.4% | -5.7% | 3 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | -10.2% | 12.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | -3.6% | -10.0% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | -4.3% | -8.9% | -0.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | -8.9% | -13.0% | -5.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.7% | -3.2% | 0.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More economy & growth data for Panama
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.82 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 2.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.2057 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 4,071 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), annual 2.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 0.2264 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 4,480 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 5.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.7002 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Panama?
- Current account balance in Panama was -0.2% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 12.2% in 1988.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was -13.0% in 2014.
- How does Panama rank for current account balance?
- Panama ranks 82nd out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 97.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.