MigrantoMigration trends in Panama
Latin America
Panama takes in more people than it loses: 476.1K immigrants against 194.8K emigrants. Net balance +281.3K — 6% of the country's population
4.5M
Population
476.1K
Immigrants
194.8K
Emigrants
+281.3K
Inflow
1 in 9 residents of Panama was born abroad — and 1 in 24 people born in Panama lives abroad
#80 in the world by net migration gain
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in Panama
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
62.5K immigrants · 144.1K emigrants
2005
- The foreign-born population passed 100K residents
2010
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 44%
- The gap between arrivals and departures was cut in half
2015
- The country became a destination — more people arriving than leaving
2020
- Venezuela overtook Colombia as the largest source of new arrivals
- Surge of immigrants from Venezuela — 109.7K new arrivals
Today
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 53%
- Roughly 1 in 10 residents was now foreign-born
- Migration accounted for 74% of the country's population growth
- Net migration doubled — the surplus reached 281.3K
- Since 1990: 413.6K more foreign-born residents and 50.7K more emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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