Panama's researchers in R&D (per million people) was 250.47 in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 169.96% from 92.78 in 2014 (10.44% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 250.47 | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 110.66 | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 92.78 | 2014 |
| Highest | 253.27 | 2023 |
| Lowest | 38.11 | 2012 |
| Average since 2015 | 145.95 | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 113.62 | 1996 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Panama's researchers in R&D (per million people) fell 2.8 on 2023 (from 253.27 to 250.47).
Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2023), the average change was +5.26 and a typical year strayed about 39.51 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 110.99 in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 81.54 in 2012. 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 17.3 a year. A straight line explains 75% 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 16th highest value of the 18 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Panama | 250.47 | 2024 |
| High income | 4,607 | 2022 |
Closest to Panama in the 2024 ranking
- Moldova — 13th of 18: 649.94
- Uzbekistan — 14th of 18: 639.54
- Mexico — 15th of 18: 438.25
- Kuwait — 17th of 18: 144.75
- Togo — 18th of 18: 57.79
What this measures
The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.
Limitations: Estimates of the resources allocated to R&D are affected by national characteristics such as the periodicity and coverage of national R&D surveys across institutional sectors and industries; and the use of different sampling and estimation methods. R&D typically involves a few large performers, hence R&D surveys use various techniques to maintain up-to-date registers of known performers, while attempting to identify new or occasional performers.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 28 values
| Year | Researchers in R&D (per million people) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 250.47 |
| 2023 | 253.27 |
| 2022 | 142.28 |
| 2021 | 134.74 |
| 2020 | 167.56 |
| 2019 | 110.66 |
| 2018 | 107.17 |
| 2017 | 105.81 |
| 2016 | 96.89 |
| 2015 | 90.68 |
| 2014 |
Researchers in R&D (per million people) in nearby economies
- Argentina — 1,313 (2023)
- Bolivia — 63.06 (2021)
- Chile — 707.06 (2022)
- Costa Rica — 507.76 (2023)
- Guatemala — 1.45 (2023)
- Mexico — 438.25 (2024)
- Paraguay — 138.79 (2023)
- Uruguay — 937.57 (2024)
- Venezuela, RB — 179.96 (2023)
More infrastructure data for Panama
- Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 123,804 (2023)
- Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 143.67 (2023)
- Air transport, passengers carried — 15.75 million (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions — 6.98 million (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 156.59 (2023)
- ICT service exports (BoP, current US$) — US$501.33 million (2025)
- ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 2.48% (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions — 774,060 (2023)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 17.36 (2023)
- Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Panama's researchers in R&D (per million people)?
- 250.47 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1996?
- It is up 120.45% from 113.62 in 1996 (2.86% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 253.27 in 2023 and the lowest 38.11 in 2012.
- How does Panama rank?
- 16th highest of 18 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in researchers in R&D (per million people) unusual for Panama?
- In 2024, Panama's researchers in R&D (per million people) fell 2.8 on 2023 (from 253.27 to 250.47). Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2023), the average change was +5.26 and a typical year strayed about 39.51 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 SP.POP.SCIE.RD.P6, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources/bulk, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), date accessed: 2025-03-26, date published: 2025-02 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.
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