Demographics of Panama

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Panama, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Ethnic and Racial origins

The culture, customs, and language of Panama is predominantly Caribbean Spanish. Panama has a very diverse population which is largely of mixed Spanish, black, and Native American descent/ancestry. According to the CIA World Factbook, Panama has a population of more than 3,400,000; 70% is mestizo (mixed white, Native American, and/or black) and mulattoes (mixed white, and black ancestry), 14% is primarily black and mulattoes, 10% white and 6% Native Americans. Some East Asians like the Chinese are less than one percent.^{[citation needed]}

Immigration

Immigration to Panama are represented by ethnic groups in the 19th and 20th centuries: British and Irish, Dutch, French, Germans, Italians, Portuguese, Poles, Russians or Ukrainians (a large number are Jews), U.S. Americans and West Indies/Caribbean (esp. Afro-Caribbean) nationalities, in which thousands of Barbadian and Jamaican workers played a role in the construction of the Panama Canal. Also important was the immigration of Arabs and Asians: in particular Chinese, Lebanese, Palestinians, South Asians (from India and Pakistan) and Syrians.

Religion

The majority of Panamanians are Christian, most are Roman Catholics by centuries of Spanish colonial influence. Other faiths exist in Panama by the country's tolerance and freedom of religion, there are large Protestant, Jewish,Baha, Muslim and Hindu religious groups in Panama. One known Panamanian of the Jewish faith was baseball player Rod Carew.^{[citation needed]}

Languages

Many languages, including seven indigenous languages, are spoken in Panama, although Spanish is the official and dominant language. English is sometimes spoken by many professionals and those working in the business or governmental sectors of society.

Population density

More than half the population lives in the Panama City-Colón metropolitan corridor. Panama City was enriched by the past century of American influences in terms of additions to the country's Latin culture, economics (the US was involved in development of roads, schools and medical care), and international trade by the nearby Panama Canal, once was under US jurisdiction: the Canal Zone territory from 1903 to 1979.

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

Population

3,460,462 (July 2011 est.)

Age structure

• 0–14 years: 28.6% (male 504,726/female 484,291)
• 15–64 years: 64.2% (male 1,123,777/female 1,098,661)
• 65 years and over: 7.2% (male 115,425/female 133,582) (2011 est.)

Median age

• total: 27.5 years
• male: 27.1 years
• female: 27.9 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

• 1.435% (2011 est.)

Birth rate

• 19.40 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Death rate

• 4.65 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

Net migration rate

• -0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Sex ratio

• at birth: 1.045 male(s)/female
• under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
• 15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
• 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
• total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate

• total: 11.64 deaths/1,000 live births
• male: 12.41 deaths/1,000 live births
• female: 10.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

• total population: 77.79 years
• male: 75.02 years
• female: 80.68 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

• 2.40 children born/woman (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

• 0.9% (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

• 20,000 (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS – deaths

• 1,500 (2009 est.)

Major infectious diseases

• degree of risk: intermediate
• food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
• vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria
• water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

Nationality

• noun: Panamanian(s)
• adjective: Panamanian

Ethnic groups

• mestizo (mixed white and Native American) and mulattoes (mixed white and black ancestry) 70%, Blacks/African descent 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6% and East Asian 1%.

Religions

• Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15% and Jews about 1%.

Languages

Spanish (official) 97% as first and second language, English 14%(as first and second language); note –

Literacy

• definition: age 15 and over can read and write
• total population: 91.9%
• male: 92.5%
• female: 91.2% (2000 census)

Province	Capital city	Population(2010 Est.)[1]
Bocas del Toro	Bocas del Toro	118,405
Coclé	Penonomé	237,840
Colón	Colón	250,802
Chiriquí	David	426,790
Darién	La Palma	46,011
Herrera	Chitré	112,538
Los Santos	Las Tablas	90,984
Panamá	Ciudad de Panamá	1,796,674
Veraguas	Santiago	226,847
Comarca	Capital city	Population
Emberá-Wounaan	Unión Choco	9,497
Kuna de Madugandí	N/D	N/D
Kuna Yala	El Porvenir	37,545
Kuna de Wargandí	N/D	N/D
Ngöbe-Buglé	Buabidi	150,550

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.

See also

• Panama
• Ethnic groups in Central America