Distillers Panama
A one-page guide to Panama for the spirits trade: the country, its people, its economy and how it drinks.
At a glance
- Capital
- Panama City
- Official languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Balboa (PAB), fixed 1:1 to the US dollar; US dollar notes in use
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Area
- 75,320 km²
People
- Population
- 4.6 million (2025)
- Population growth
- 1.2% a year
- Living in towns and cities
- 66.2%
- Aged under 15
- 24.5%
- Aged 65 and over
- 9.7%
- Life expectancy
- 79.8 years
Economy
- GDP
- US$90.5 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,790 (2025)
- Economic growth
- 4.4% (2025)
- Inflation
- -0.2% (2025)
Climate
Tropical, hot and humid year-round. Dry-season days in the capital run about 24 C to 30 C. Rainy season is usually April-December; annual rainfall under 1,300 mm to over 3,000 mm, wetter on the Caribbean side.
Alcohol
- Alcohol is
- Legal
- Legal drinking age
- 18 to purchase (no minimum drinking age)
- Alcohol per adult a year
- 7.2 litres of pure alcohol (2022-2024 average (WHO estimate for 2024))
Sources: World Bank (population, economy and demographics), WHO Global Health Observatory (alcohol per adult and drinking mix); World Bank indicators (population, area, GDP, GDP per capita, growth, inflation); WHO Global Health Observatory, indicator SA_0000001688; UN Comtrade public API (HS 2208); Wikipedia: Legal drinking age; Wikipedia: Panama; PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Panama - other taxes; Goods Across Borders: Panama allowances (secondary; cites national customs); Vinexpo Americas. Figures are the latest each source publishes; the year is shown beside each one.