Share of population living in rural areas in Panama
Panama: Share of population living in rural areas was 31.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Panama, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Panama stood at 31.7%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Panama peaked at 61.2% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 31.7%, in 2020.
Panama ranks 86th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Panama, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 61.2% | — |
| 1955 | 59.3% | -3.1% |
| 1960 | 57.0% | -3.9% |
| 1965 | 54.3% | -4.7% |
| 1970 | 51.6% | -5.0% |
| 1975 | 49.0% | -5.0% |
| 1980 | 47.6% | -2.9% |
| 1985 | 45.3% | -4.7% |
| 1990 | 42.7% | -5.8% |
| 1995 | 39.2% | -8.3% |
| 2000 | 36.4% | -7.2% |
| 2005 | 35.1% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 34.1% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 33.0% | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 31.7% | -3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 60.2% | 59.3% | 61.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 55.6% | 54.3% | 57.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 50.3% | 49.0% | 51.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 46.5% | 45.3% | 47.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 40.9% | 39.2% | 42.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 35.7% | 35.1% | 36.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 33.5% | 33.0% | 34.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 31.7% | 31.7% | 31.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Panama
- 83 Northern Mariana Islands 32.3% compare
- 84 Albania 32.1% compare
- 85 Cambodia 31.9% compare
- 87 Luxembourg 31.3% compare
- 88 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 31.2% compare
- 89 Sweden 31.2% compare
More population data for Panama
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.192 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.53 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.192 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,736 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.11 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4333 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 79.6 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 267,694 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Panama?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Panama was 31.7% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 61.2% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.7% in 2020.
- How does Panama rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Panama ranks 86th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.