Forcibly displaced people in Panama
Panama: Forcibly displaced people was 64,109 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Forcibly displaced people in Panama, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in Panama is 64,109, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 5.3% on the previous year and up 216.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Panama peaked at 157,747 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 9,706, in 2017.
That places Panama 90th out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Forcibly displaced people in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 17,535 | — |
| 2011 | 18,031 | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 17,771 | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 18,274 | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 18,651 | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 20,233 | +8.5% |
| 2016 | 21,797 | +7.7% |
| 2017 | 9,706 | -55.5% |
| 2018 | 110,503 | +1038.5% |
| 2019 | 135,977 | +23.1% |
| 2020 | 134,391 | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 142,172 | +5.8% |
| 2022 | 157,747 | +11.0% |
| 2023 | 68,501 | -56.6% |
| 2024 | 67,722 | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 64,109 | -5.3% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 64,109 is above the median for high income countries, which is 51,316, 1.2× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Panama's 64,109 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15,910, 4.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forcibly displaced people in Panama changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +1038.5% | 9,706 | 110,503 |
| 2023 | -56.6% | 157,747 | 68,501 |
| 2017 | -55.5% | 21,797 | 9,706 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 38,848 | 9,706 | 135,977 | 10 |
| 2020s | 105,774 | 64,109 | 157,747 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More social development data for Panama
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,694 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 375 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 375 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0006 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forcibly displaced people in Panama?
- Forcibly displaced people in Panama was 64,109 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 157,747 in 2022.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 9,706 in 2017.
- How does Panama rank for forcibly displaced people?
- Panama ranks 90th out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is up 216.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Forcibly displaced people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.