Photo: Brian Gratwicke derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 12 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Panama: Mobility & Trade
How connected is a country to the rest of the world?
Panama is placed 64th of 177 countries on mobility & trade in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Liner Shipping Connectivity Index 213.84 (2025); Container Import Dwell Time 4.9 (2024).
Share
Mobility & Trade
64th
of 177 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Panama on mobility & trade — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Liner Shipping Connectivity Index
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
213.84
LSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100)
Higher is better
Ranked 26th of 177 by UNCTAD
Panama: 213.84. Across the 168 countries in this edition, values run from 4.13 (Turks and Caicos Islands) to 1,313 (China); the world median is 60.84.
- World median
- 60.84
- Best in Central America
- 213.84 Panama
- Land neighbours
- Colombia 208.26 · Costa Rica 88.85
4.9
Median days a full import container waits in port
Lower is better
Panama: 4.9. Across the 156 countries in this edition, values run from 1 (Gibraltar) to 21.6 (Haiti); the world median is 4.4.
- World median
- 4.4
- Best in Central America
- 4.9 Panama
- Land neighbours
- Colombia 6.2 · Costa Rica 6.1
3.1
LPI score (1–5)
Higher is better
Ranked 57th of 139 by World Bank Group
Panama: 3.1. Across the 139 countries in this edition, values run from 1.9 (Afghanistan) to 4.3 (Singapore); the world median is 2.9.
- World median
- 2.9
- Best in Central America
- 3.1 Panama
- Land neighbours
- Colombia 2.9 · Costa Rica 2.9
Key 4 of 4
ICT Goods Exports
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
0.69
ICT goods exports (% of total goods exports)
Higher is better
Panama: 0.69. Across the 120 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Gambia) to 61.45 (Hong Kong); the world median is 0.975.
- World median
- 0.975
- Best in Central America
- 12.45 Mexico
- Land neighbours
- Colombia 0.35 · Costa Rica 1.01
02Over time
Which way Panama is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Liner Shipping Connectivity Index
LSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100) · higher is better
PanamaWorld median
Panama rose from 128.34 in 2006 to 220.29 in 2026; the world median went from 52.25 to 56.21.
Every year’s figures
Year Panama World median 2026 220.3 56.21 2025 213.8 60.84 2024 212.5 55.22 2023 207.9 54.78 2022 200.4 51.49 2021 195.3 52.64 2020 192.7 47.86 2019 194.0 51.05 2018 182.5 52.03 2017 190.1 49.87 2016 187.4 48.09 2015 209.4 49.13 2014 191.0 48.08 2013 200.8 51.32 2012 194.7 47.44 2011 183.9 50.26 2010 159.6 50.51 2009 151.7 53.04 2008 157.5 51.68 2007 139.7 55.78 2006 128.3 52.25 Logistics Performance Index
LPI score (1–5) · higher is better
PanamaWorld median
Panama rose from 2.889 in 2007 to 3.1 in 2023; the world median went from 2.529 to 2.9.
Every year’s figures
Year Panama World median 2023 3.10 2.900 2018 3.28 2.706 2016 3.34 2.734 2014 3.19 2.753 2012 2.93 2.773 2010 3.02 2.746 2007 2.89 2.529 ICT Goods Exports
ICT goods exports (% of total goods exports) · higher is better
PanamaWorld median
Panama rose from 0 in 2000 to 0.69 in 2024; the world median went from 0.43 to 0.975.
Every year’s figures
Year Panama World median 2024 0.69 0.975000 2023 — 0.690000 2022 — 0.565000 2021 — 0.550000 2020 17.69 0.680000 2019 13.24 0.625000 2018 11.17 0.480000 2017 10.45 0.630000 2016 8.59 0.865000 2015 6.75 0.790000 2014 6.98 0.760000 2013 6.99 0.645000 2012 8.29 0.630000 2011 8.36 0.535000 2010 9.60 0.560000 2009 8.17 0.780000 2008 11.30 0.595000 2007 11.57 0.660000 2006 14.30 0.445000 2005 0.07 0.570000 2004 0.19 0.535000 2003 0.09 0.530000 2002 0.12 0.510000 2001 0.09 0.490000 2000 0.00 0.430000
03In context
Panama beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 177 countries on mobility & trade, never a place within the region.
Panama and the countries it borders
Standing among all 177; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Liner Shipping Connectivity IndexLSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100) | Container Import Dwell TimeMedian days a full import container waits in port | Logistics Performance IndexLPI score (1–5) | ICT Goods ExportsICT goods exports (% of total goods exports) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama | 64th | 213.84 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 0.69 |
 Costa Rica | 84th | 88.85 | 6.1 | 2.9 | 1.01 |
 Colombia | 85th | 208.26 | 6.2 | 2.9 | 0.35 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Central America
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 177.
Placed either side on mobility & trade
The countries immediately above and below Panama in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Panama is ahead of the world, and behind
21 more statistics filed under mobility & trade, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median3
Statistics on which Panama does better than the middle country measured.
Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness IndexOECD · 2025 · world median 0.2060.0620.206▲ Improved since 2015
Panama: 0.062 · world median 0.206 · Digital STRI (0 = open, 1 = closed). OECD, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.021 to 0.649; lower is better.
Position 110th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Freedom of Foreign MovementV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 1.21.5951.2▼ Worsened since 2015
Panama: 1.595 · world median 1.2 · Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +2.9); higher = freer movement. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.642 to 2.727; higher is better.
Position 67th of 176 · derived.
Cost of Sending RemittancesWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 3.2252.493.225▼ Worsened since 2016
Panama: 2.49 · world median 3.225 · Average cost of sending $200 home (% of the amount). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from -49.69 to 19.63; lower is better.
Position 58th of 93 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median3
Statistics on which Panama does worse than the middle country measured.
Digitally-Deliverable Services ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 25.4215.6325.42▼ Worsened since 2014
Panama: 15.63 · world median 25.42 · Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.377 to 87.15; higher is better.
Position 110th of 170 · derived.
ICT Services ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 7.4742.897.474▲ Improved since 2014
Panama: 2.89 · world median 7.474 · ICT services exports (% of services exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 56.25; higher is better.
Position 87th of 118 · derived.
Average Time to Clear Exports Through CustomsWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.4568.4124.456No earlier reading
Panama: 8.412 · world median 4.456 · Average time to clear exports through customs (days). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 27.46; lower is better.
Position 41st of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end15
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Container Port TrafficUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 1,827,7889,570,7671,827,788Moved since 2014
Panama: 9,570,767 · world median 1,827,788 · Container port traffic (TEU, twenty-foot equivalent units). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 17,263 to 299,703,800.
Position 23rd of 103 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Services ExportsUNCTAD · 2025 · world median 9.60222.519.602No real change since 2015
Panama: 22.51 · world median 9.602 · Services exports (% of GDP). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.085 to 166.21.
Net Migration RateUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median -0.1331.629-0.133No real change since 2013
Panama: 1.629 · world median -0.133 · Net migrants per 1,000 population. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from -61.68 to 39.62.
Tariff Rate, Applied, Weighted Mean, All ProductsWorld Bank Group · 2022 · world median 3.665.933.66Moved since 2012
Panama: 5.93 · world median 3.66 · Applied tariff rate, trade-weighted mean (%). World Bank Group, 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 29.52.
International MigrantsUN DESA Population Division · 2024 · world median 223,323477,749223,323Moved since 2015
Panama: 477,749 · world median 223,323 · International migrants living in the country, mid-year (people). UN DESA Population Division, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 246 to 52,375,047.
International Migrants as a Share of PopulationUN DESA Population Division · 2024 · world median 6.08910.586.089Moved since 2015
Panama: 10.58 · world median 6.089 · International migrants (% of population). UN DESA Population Division, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.02 to 100.
Cereal Import Dependency RatioFAO · 2022 · world median 42.861.942.8Moved since 2012
Panama: 61.9 · world median 42.8 · Share of the cereal supply that is imported (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from -1,894 to 100.
Merchant Fleet by Country of OwnershipUNCTAD · 2026 · world median 275.73907.55275.73Moved since 2016
Panama: 907.55 · world median 275.73 · Merchant fleet owned (thousand dead-weight tons). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 397,071.
Creative Goods ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 1.2351.7011.235Moved since 2014
Panama: 1.701 · world median 1.235 · Creative goods exports (% of merchandise exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 37.23.
Asylum-Seekers by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 1,8364,1291,836Moved since 2015
Panama: 4,129 · world median 1,836 · Asylum-seekers awaiting a decision, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 3,718,945.
Commodity Export DependenceUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 67.1767.8167.17Moved since 2014
Panama: 67.81 · world median 67.17 · Commodity exports (% of merchandise exports, three-year average). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 4.605 to 99.77.
EmigrantsUN DESA Population Division · 2024 · world median 444,451194,816444,451No real change since 2015
Panama: 194,816 · world median 444,451 · Migrants from the country living abroad, mid-year (people). UN DESA Population Division, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 313 to 18,533,845.
Refugee Population by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 12,2692,69412,269Moved since 2015
Panama: 2,694 · world median 12,269 · Refugees under UNHCR's mandate hosted, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 2,655,191.
Export Concentration IndexUNCTAD · 2025 · world median 0.3060.1360.306Moved since 2015
Panama: 0.136 · world median 0.306 · Export concentration index (0–1, normalised Herfindahl–Hirschman). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.059 to 0.933.
Terms of Trade IndexUNCTAD · 2025 · world median 103.2387.27103.23Moved since 2015
Panama: 87.27 · world median 103.23 · Terms of trade index (2015 = 100). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 38.2 to 1,448.
No current reading for Panama
Creative Services Exports (last 2012), Exports of Goods and Services (% of GDP) (last 2024), FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index, Foreign Value Added Share of Gross Exports, Imports of Goods and Services (% of GDP) (last 2024), Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary (last 2023), Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary (last 2022) and Trade (% of GDP) (last 2024). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Mobility & Trade among Panama’s 16 topics
Mobility & Trade is Panama’s 8th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Energyjoint 42nd of 1653/3 keys
- Peace & Security50th of 1773/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties60th of 1984/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability58th of 1863/4 keys
- Food & Agriculturejoint 61st of 1844/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital69th of 1963/3 keys
- Economy & Innovation63rd of 1764/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade64th of 1774/4 keys
- Gender & Equality67th of 1834/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions83rd of 1944/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing87th of 2003/4 keys
- Digital & Technology100th of 1984/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience141st of 1934/4 keys
- Education & Knowledgejoint 152nd of 1984/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 146th of 1824/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality130th of 1593/3 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on mobility & trade
The three countries placed highest of 177, and the leaders Panama can most readily be measured against.
1
SingaporeSouth-eastern Asia
1st of 177 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Khairul Nizam . · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
2
MacauEastern Asia
2nd of 177 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
Hong KongEastern Asia
3rd of 177 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Americas
United States7th4/4 keysHighest in Central America
Mexico=55th4/4 keysThis page
Panama64th4/4 keys
Positions out of 177 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about Panama and mobility & trade
On mobility & trade
China Leads Global High-Technology Exports
The world’s ten largest high-technology exporters as a treemap, with the rest of the world beside them. Each country’s figure is its own most recent year, between 2022 and 2024.
On mobility & trade
The World’s Safest Airlines for 2025
The eleven safest airlines of 2025, each beside the country it is based in, and the nine things the grading looks at. Three airlines share third place, and the publisher gives an order but no score.
On mobility & trade
The world’s most powerful passports for 2025
Sixteen passports, their mobility scores, and the visa-free, visa-on-arrival and visa-required split behind each. Fourteen share third place while differing in how they reach it.
08Questions
Panama on mobility & trade: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Panama rank on mobility & trade?
Panama is placed 64th of 177 countries on Mobility & Trade in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Liner Shipping Connectivity Index, Container Import Dwell Time, Logistics Performance Index and ICT Goods Exports). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Liner Shipping Connectivity Index figure for Panama?
213.84 in 2025 (lSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100)), according to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The world median in the same edition was 60.84.
What is the latest Container Import Dwell Time figure for Panama?
4.9 in 2024 (median days a full import container waits in port), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 4.4.
How does Panama compare with Colombia on mobility & trade?
Colombia is placed 85th of 177, and Panama 64th. Liner Shipping Connectivity Index: Colombia 208.26, Panama 213.84; Container Import Dwell Time: Colombia 6.2, Panama 4.9; Logistics Performance Index: Colombia 2.9, Panama 3.1; ICT Goods Exports: Colombia 0.35, Panama 0.69.
How have Panama’s mobility & trade figures changed?
Liner Shipping Connectivity Index rose from 128.34 in 2006 to 220.29 in 2026; Logistics Performance Index rose from 2.889 in 2007 to 3.1 in 2023; ICT Goods Exports rose from 0 in 2000 to 0.69 in 2024.
Which mobility & trade statistics are missing for Panama?
No current reading is published for Panama on Creative Services Exports, Exports of Goods and Services (% of GDP), FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index, Foreign Value Added Share of Gross Exports, Imports of Goods and Services (% of GDP), Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary and Trade (% of GDP). They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Passport strength and freedom of movement for people are not measured with a key, because the data behind passport rankings is not licensed for reuse here. Trade as a share of the economy, remittance costs and student mobility are published here as context.
How the Mobility & Trade standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The mobility & trade method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Liner Shipping Connectivity Index — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Container Import Dwell Time — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Logistics Performance Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- ICT Goods Exports — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
The other 21 statistics on this page come from 7 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Panama’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Panama (banner) — Brian Gratwicke derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 2.0
- Singapore — Khairul Nizam ., CC BY 2.0
- Macau — Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hong Kong — Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Panama: Mobility & Trade — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/panama/mobility