Panama: Exports as a capacity to import (constant LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Panama's exports as a capacity to import (constant LCU) rose 2.9% on 2023 (from 39.55 billion to 40.69 billion).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2023), the average change was +5.6% and a typical year strayed about 10.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 27% in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 17.8% in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.53 billion a year. A straight line explains 63% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Panama had the 13th highest value of the 29 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

• Bhutan — 9th of 29: 63.18 billion
• Bolivia — 10th of 29: 60.93 billion
• Ghana — 11th of 29: 57.59 billion
• Vanuatu — 13th of 29: 39.21 billion
• Eswatini — 14th of 29: 35.13 billion
• Oman — 15th of 29: 22.13 billion

What this measures

Exports as a capacity to import equals the current price value of exports of goods and services deflated by the import price index. This indicator is expressed in constant prices, meaning the series has been adjusted to account for price changes over time. The reference year for this adjustment varies by country. This series is expressed in local currency units.

All 29 values

Exports as a capacity to import (constant LCU) in nearby economies

• Argentina — 235.83 billion (2025)
• Bahamas, The — 4.64 billion (2024)
• Belize — 3.11 billion (2024)
• Bolivia — 60.93 billion (2024)
• Brazil — 605.1 billion (2025)
• Chile — 73.69 trillion (2025)
• Colombia — 184.22 trillion (2025)
• Costa Rica — 25.06 trillion (2025)
• Cuba — 3.73 billion (2024)
• Dominican Republic

More economic policy & debt data for Panama

• Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$6.24 billion (2025)
• Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$6.24 billion (2025)
• Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices (current US$) — US$88.24 billion (2025)
• Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices (current LCU) — 88.24 billion (2025)
• GDP (current US$) — US$90.46 billion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 90.46 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$80.68 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant LCU) — 84.75 billion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$19,790 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 19,790 (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Panama's exports as a capacity to import (constant LCU)?

40.69 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1996?

It is up 293.72% from 10.33 billion in 1996 (5.02% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 40.69 billion in 2024 and the lowest 9.84 billion in 1999.

How does Panama rank?

13th highest of 29 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in exports as a capacity to import (constant LCU) unusual for Panama?

In 2024, Panama's exports as a capacity to import (constant LCU) rose 2.9% on 2023 (from 39.55 billion to 40.69 billion). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2023), the average change was +5.6% and a typical year strayed about 10.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NY.EXP.CAPM.KN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) 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.

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