Panama
Americas
Key facts
- Capital
- Panama City
- Population
- 4,571,189
- 2025
- Area
- 75,320 km²
- Official language
- Spanish
- Currency
- Panamanian Balboa, US Dollar
- PAB, USD
- GDP per capita
- US$19,790
- 2025
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed with conditions
- Panamanians by birth never lose nationality but have citizenship suspended on acquiring another; most naturalising foreigners must renounce theirs, and naturalised Panamanians lose nationality likewise.
Panama (Americas) has data on 12/14 Prosperous Intelligence indices. Strongest relative position: Passport Index — #32/198 (72.9/100). Lowest relative position: Education Index — #128/191 (54.4/100). The passport ranks #32/198 and reaches 158 destinations without a consular visa in advance. Global Citizenship Score 66.9/100 (#66/199). On the entry side, 115/197 passports can enter Panama without a consular visa in advance. The dataset records 5 active citizenship and residence programmes in Panama.
Scores on 12 indices
- Health & Longevity60.6
- Safety & Stability69.3
- Economy & Income82.7
- Education54.4
- Environment & Clean Water80.4
- Infrastructure82.2
- Digital Connectivity60.5
- Equality22.7
- Learning Quality29.4
- Educational Attainment79.5
- Expected Years of Schooling55.2
- Education Spending46.0
- Basic Access73.0
- Violent Crime74.8
- Stability & Absence of Terrorism68.6
- Law Enforcement & Order43.8
- Road Safety65.9
- Absence of Armed Conflict100.0
- Health Outcomes86.5
- Coverage & Access90.3
- Health Workforce & Facilities23.4
- Spending & Investment37.4
- Financial Protection45.6
- Personal Income Tax82.0
- Capital Gains & Dividends75.0
- System & Incentives90.0
- Net Wealth Tax100.0
- Inheritance & Gift Tax100.0
- Corporate & Social Security57.1
- Rule of Law & Property Rights36.5
- Political Stability68.6
- Institutions & Regulation51.8
- Financial Soundness83.8
- Monetary Stability100.0
- Freedom of Capital Movement90.0
- Education54.4
- Healthcare60.6
- Safety69.3
- Quality of Life64.0
- Cost of living79.5
- Passport72.9
- Passport72.9
- Quality of Life64.0
- Safety69.3
- Healthcare60.6
- Purchasing power & price stability64.3
- Education54.4
- Wealth Protection67.0
- Tax83.9
- Cost of living79.5
- Healthcare60.6
- Safety69.3
- Quality of Life64.0
- Tax83.9
- Wealth Protection67.0
- Affordable Prices70.7
- Price Stability100.0
- Purchasing power55.4
Monthly living costs
- Total incl. rentUS$1,137Rank 6 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Total excl. rentUS$310Rank 4 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Housing & utilitiesUS$861Rank 7 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Core food basketUS$89Rank 5 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- A fixed basket of 15 everyday items at online retail prices; not a household’s full food spending.
- Eating outUS$109Rank 4 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- TransportUS$13Rank 3 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Internet & mobileUS$65Rank 15 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- 2 adults, 2 primary-school children
- Total incl. rentUS$1,718Rank 4 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Total excl. rentUS$730Rank 4 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Housing & utilitiesUS$1,087Rank 4 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Core food basketUS$285Rank 5 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- A fixed basket of 15 everyday items at online retail prices; not a household’s full food spending.
- Eating outUS$217Rank 4 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- TransportUS$38Rank 3 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Internet & mobileUS$90Rank 17 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- International school (reference)US$1,261Rank 6 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- 3 schools, US$1,103–US$1,380 a month; not included in the totals
At a glance
Entering Panama
- Visa-free: 115 passports
- Visa on arrival: 0 passports
- eTA: 0 passports
- e-Visa: 0 passports
- Consular visa required: 82 passports
Regional position and data sources
- First in Americas on 0/12 indices
- Above the regional median on 9/12 indices
- Each index lists its source and data date on the Data sources page
Citizenship and residence programmes in the dataset
- Residente permanente — Inversionista de la Macro-Empresa
- Visa Corta Estancia Trabajador Remoto
- Friendly Nations Visa (Naciones Amigas)
- and 2 more programmes
Frequently asked questions about Panama
What is the capital of Panama?
The capital of Panama is Panama City.
What is the population of Panama?
According to the World Bank, Panama had a population of 4,571,189 in 2025.
What is the official language of Panama?
The official language of Panama is Spanish.
What currency does Panama use?
Panama uses Panamanian Balboa (PAB) and US Dollar (USD).
Does Panama allow dual citizenship?
Panamanians by birth never lose nationality but have citizenship suspended on acquiring another; most naturalising foreigners must renounce theirs, and naturalised Panamanians lose nationality likewise.
How strong is the Panama passport?
The Panama passport ranks #32 of 198 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Passport Index and reaches 158 destinations without applying for a consular visa in advance (visa-free, visa on arrival or eTA).
How many destinations require a visa for Panama passport holders?
Holders of the Panama passport must apply for a consular visa before travelling to 37 destinations and need an e-Visa for 52. Full list: Panama passport page.
How many passports can enter Panama without applying for a visa in advance?
115 of 197 passports can enter Panama without applying for a consular visa in advance: 115 visa-free. 82 must apply for a consular visa.
What citizenship and residency programmes does Panama offer?
The Prosperous Intelligence dataset records 5 active citizenship and residency programmes in Panama: Residente permanente — Inversionista de la Macro-Empresa, Visa Corta Estancia Trabajador Remoto, Friendly Nations Visa (Naciones Amigas) and 2 more. Details: Opportunity Map.
What is the minimum investment for residency or citizenship in Panama?
In Panama, Residente permanente — Inversionista de la Macro-Empresa requires a minimum investment of US$160,000, Friendly Nations Visa (Naciones Amigas) requires starting from US$200,000 and Qualified Investor Permanent Residence requires starting from US$300,000 (reference USD conversion).
How long does an application take in Panama?
In Panama, an application under Visa Corta Estancia Trabajador Remoto takes about 0 months, Friendly Nations Visa (Naciones Amigas) about 3–6 months and Qualified Investor Permanent Residence about 1–2 months (reference processing time).
How long does it take to become a citizen of Panama through these programmes?
Through Residente permanente — Inversionista de la Macro-Empresa, citizenship of Panama is possible after about 5 years, after a period of permanent residence; through Friendly Nations Visa (Naciones Amigas), citizenship of Panama is possible after about 5 years, after a period of permanent residence; through Qualified Investor Permanent Residence, citizenship of Panama is possible after about 5 years, after a period of permanent residence (reference time).
How many days a year do you need to spend in Panama?
In Panama, Visa Corta Estancia Trabajador Remoto requires 0 days of physical presence a year, Friendly Nations Visa (Naciones Amigas) 0 days and Qualified Investor Permanent Residence 0 days (reference figure).
Can family members join programmes in Panama?
Family members included: Residente permanente — Inversionista de la Macro-Empresa: spouse; Friendly Nations Visa (Naciones Amigas): spouse and children under 25; Qualified Investor Permanent Residence: spouse and children under 25.
Where is Panama strongest and weakest in Prosperous Intelligence’s indices?
Relative to other countries, Panama is strongest on the Passport Index (#32 of 198) and weakest on the Education Index (#128 of 191).
How does Panama rank for quality of life?
Panama scores 64.0/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Quality of Life Index, ranking #111 of 211.
Is Panama expensive to live in?
Panama scores 79.5/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Cost of Living Index, ranking #43 of 200. This is the affordability-of-living-costs score: a higher score means lower prices.
How safe is Panama?
Panama scores 69.3/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Global Safety Index, ranking #103 of 203.
How does Panama rank for healthcare?
Panama scores 60.6/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Healthcare Index, ranking #78 of 192.
How does Panama rank for education?
Panama scores 54.4/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Education Index, ranking #128 of 191.
What the profile contains
- Key facts from government and international sources
- Scores and global ranks on 12 Prosperous Intelligence indices
- Entry rules, passport strength and residency programmes
Why the profile matters
- Compare one country across many criteria on a single page
- Not a substitute for legal, tax or investment advice
Method
- How each index is scored and weighted
- The limits of the data and how to check official sources
