Merchandise trade in Panama
Panama: Merchandise trade was 41.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise trade in Panama, 1960–2025
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, merchandise trade in Panama stood at 41.6%.
That represents a change of down 9.6% on the previous year and down 31.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise trade in Panama peaked at 102.1% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 17.9%, in 1988.
Panama ranks 134th of 204 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise trade in Panama, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 26.2% | — |
| 1961 | 26.7% | +1.8% |
| 1962 | 30.7% | +14.8% |
| 1963 | 30.4% | -0.8% |
| 1964 | 30.1% | -0.9% |
| 1965 | 31.7% | +5.1% |
| 1966 | 32.9% | +4.0% |
| 1967 | 31.9% | -3.2% |
| 1968 | 32.2% | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 32.9% | +2.3% |
| 1970 | 34.5% | +4.8% |
| 1971 | 33.7% | -2.4% |
| 1972 | 33.6% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 33.4% | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 47.2% | +41.2% |
| 1975 | 48.4% | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 42.0% | -13.3% |
| 1977 | 40.6% | -3.2% |
| 1978 | 36.9% | -9.1% |
| 1979 | 40.1% | +8.7% |
| 1980 | 39.2% | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 35.8% | -8.8% |
| 1982 | 33.7% | -5.8% |
| 1983 | 29.2% | -13.3% |
| 1984 | 27.5% | -6.0% |
| 1985 | 26.4% | -3.9% |
| 1986 | 23.2% | -12.1% |
| 1987 | 24.4% | +5.0% |
| 1988 | 17.9% | -26.5% |
| 1989 | 22.0% | +22.9% |
| 1990 | 29.2% | +32.6% |
| 1991 | 29.0% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 31.4% | +8.2% |
| 1993 | 31.2% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 31.9% | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 32.8% | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 37.0% | +13.0% |
| 1997 | 37.0% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 38.0% | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 37.2% | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 35.4% | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 31.6% | -10.7% |
| 2002 | 29.9% | -5.4% |
| 2003 | 29.0% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 30.1% | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 100.2% | +233.3% |
| 2006 | 100.8% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 101.7% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 99.3% | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 88.5% | -10.9% |
| 2010 | 91.7% | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 101.9% | +11.1% |
| 2012 | 102.1% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 80.3% | -21.3% |
| 2014 | 72.6% | -9.6% |
| 2015 | 60.7% | -16.4% |
| 2016 | 53.8% | -11.4% |
| 2017 | 51.3% | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 51.2% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 47.0% | -8.2% |
| 2020 | 42.5% | -9.7% |
| 2021 | 50.1% | +18.0% |
| 2022 | 58.2% | +16.2% |
| 2023 | 60.9% | +4.6% |
| 2024 | 46.1% | -24.3% |
| 2025 | 41.6% | -9.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 30.6% | 26.2% | 32.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 39.0% | 33.4% | 48.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 27.9% | 17.9% | 39.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.5% | 29.0% | 38.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.7% | 29.0% | 101.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.3% | 47.0% | 102.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.9% | 41.6% | 60.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Panama
- 131 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 43.5% compare
- 132 Peru 42.8% compare
- 133 Ghana 42.5% compare
- 135 Antigua and Barbuda 41.5% compare
- 136 Jamaica 41.3% compare
- 137 Saint Lucia 41.2% compare
More private sector data for Panama
- Food imports 18.7% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 60.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 25.76 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 73.6% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 10.9% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 11.90 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 2,604 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1316 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -9.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 5,636 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise trade in Panama?
- Merchandise trade in Panama was 41.6% in 2025, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise trade recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 102.1% in 2012.
- What is the lowest merchandise trade recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.9% in 1988.
- How does Panama rank for merchandise trade?
- Panama ranks 134th out of 204 countries with data for 2025.
- Is merchandise trade rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Panama data come from?
- The figures come from World Trade Organization (WTO), published as part of Merchandise trade (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
General merchandise trade includes goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. It is the total of merchandise exports plus merchandise imports. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.