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Panama Population and Religion
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a transcontinental country in Central America and South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. As per the UN World Population Prospects report, the population of Panama in 2024 is 4,527,961 (4.5 million)
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Estimated Population of Panama in 2024 – 4.5 million
| Panama | 2024 Estimate |
| Total Population | 4,527,961 |
| Central America Rank | 6th |
| Land Area | 74,340 sq. km (28,700 sq. mi) |
| Area Rank | 4th |
| Pop. Density | 58 people/sq. km |
| Capital City | Panama City |
| Fertility Rate | 2.47 |
| Infant mortality rate | 12.6 |
| Median Age | 29.7 Years |
| Life Expectancy | 79.10 years |
| Urban Population | 68% |
Source: UN World Population Prospects
Religion in Panama
Christianity is the largest religion in Panama and 84.2% of the population follows Christianity. Among Christians in Panama , Catholics have the most adherents followed by the Evangelical Protestant.
For the Latest estimates, According to the 2020 report by the Latino barometer, 52.4% of the population followed Roman Catholicism and 31.8% are Protestants (25.4% Evangelical; 0.2% Methodist; 0.7% Baptism; 3.2% Adventist and 0.7% others protestant churches). Other Christians include 1.1% Jehovah’s Witnesses, and 0.5% Mormon.
14% of the population don’t affiliate with any religion. Non-Christian-based faiths population is at 1.8%.
Non-Christian Faith includes Jewish, Islam, Baháʼí Faith, and Buddism are the main minority religions.
Religion Percentage in Panama
| Religion / Affiliations | Percent |
| Christianity | 84.2% |
| Catholic | 52.4% |
| Evangelical (no specific) | 25.4% |
| Evangelical baptism | 0.7% |
| Evangelical methodist | 0.2% |
| Evangelical Pentecostal | 0.1% |
| Adventist | 3.2% |
| Protestant | 0.6% |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | 1.1% |
| Mormón | 0.5% |
| Believer, not belong to the church | 0.5% |
| Other | 1.3% |
| Unaffiliated | 14% |
| – Agnostic | – 0.3% |
| – Atheist | – 0.4% |
| – None | – 13.1% |
| – Don´t know | – 0.2% |
Source: https://www.latinobarometro.org/
Race and Ethnicity in Panama
Panama is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different races, ethnicity, and national backgrounds.
The majority of the population is composed of mestizos, roughly 65%. Mestizos are mixed Amerindian and European ancestry (majority of them being of Spanish descent).
About 12.30% of are indigenous, the descendants of the country’s original inhabitants. Major groups are Ngabe 7.6%, Kuna 2.4%, Embera 0.9%, Bugle 0.8%, other 0.4%, unspecified 0.2%
The Mulatto segment (mix of white and black) represented 6.8% and 9.20% of Panama’s population is black and mainly African ancestry and 0.21% of Chinese ancestry.
The white population accounts for 6.70% of population and are primarily of Spanish descent, with significant numbers of Italian, German, English, Dutch, French, Irish, Portuguese, and Polish families, as well a sizable Jewish community.
Panama has a considerable population of Asians origin; in particular Chinese, West Asians (Lebanese, and Palestinians and Syrians) and South Asians (from India and Pakistan).
The racial composition is as follows
| Race and Ethnicity | Percent |
| Mestizos (mixed Amerindian and Europeans) | 65% |
| Native Panamanians | 12.30% |
| Black or African descent | 9.20% |
| Mulattos | 6.80% |
| White or European descent | 6.70% |
Top Cities in Panama by Population
| # | City | Population |
| 1 | Panama City | 4,30,299 |
| 2 | San Miguelito | 3,15,019 |
| 3 | Las Cumbres | 1,27,440 |
| 4 | La Chorrera | 1,18,521 |
| 5 | Tocumen | 1,13,174 |
| 6 | Pacora | 1,03,960 |
| 7 | Arraiján | 96,676 |
| 8 | David | 81,957 |
| 9 | Vista Alegre | 55,114 |
| 10 | Santiago de Veraguas | 51,236 |
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