Panama: Educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)

Key figures

Over five years it is down 11.72 percentage points from 26.72% in 2019. Since 1970 it is up 10.8 percentage points from 4.2% in 1970. The World Bank has no value for 43 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

How it compares

In 2024, Panama had the 15th highest value of the 15 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Panama in the 2024 ranking

• Chile — 12th of 15: 31.27%
• Serbia — 13th of 15: 26.91%
• Portugal — 14th of 15: 26.06%

What this measures

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed post-secondary non-tertiary education.

Limitations: Caution is required when using this indicator for cross-country comparison, since the countries do not always classify degrees and qualifications at the same International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) levels, even if they are received at roughly the same age or after a similar number of years of schooling. Also, certain educational programmes and study courses cannot be easily classified according to ISCED. This indicator only measures educational attainment in terms of level of education attained, i.e. years of schooling, and does not necessarily reveal the quality of the education (learning achievement and other impacts).

All 12 values

Educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) in nearby economies

• Bolivia — 30.75% (2023)
• Chile — 31.27% (2024)
• Ecuador — 14.69% (2021)
• Puerto Rico (US) — 38.58% (2020)

More education data for Panama

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 451,308 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 96.94% (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 26.97% (2020)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 53.7% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) — 12.61% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Panama's educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)?

15% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 10.8 percentage points from 4.2% in 1970. The highest value was 26.72% in 2019 and the lowest 4.2% in 1970.

How does Panama rank?

15th highest of 15 economies with data for 2024.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API..

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.CUAT.PO.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.