Panama’s economy grew 6.4% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to new figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Census. Growth for the first six months of the year reached 5.5%.
The result marks an acceleration from the first quarter’s approximately 4.8% annual growth rate. It is a comparison with April-June 2025, not a measure of how much output rose from the first quarter to the second.
Transport, storage and postal activities grew 12.8% year on year. The statistics institute attributed that performance to the Panama Canal, ports, aviation and land transport. Canal toll revenue rose 13.6% at current prices during the quarter, while container movements through the national port system increased 4.1%.
Wholesale and retail commerce expanded 11.6%, supported by imports and domestic sales. The Colón Free Zone, a major hub for goods distributed across the Americas, recorded higher re-exports in several product categories.
Growth was less even elsewhere. Agriculture rose 9.6% and electricity and water supply grew 7.5%, but construction increased only 1.3%. The statistics institute said progress on private buildings was partly offset by lower execution of public infrastructure works. Financial and insurance activities grew 2.1%, while information and communications contracted 1.8%.
The figures measure economic output, not changes in household incomes or employment. They also precede the Canal’s September reduction in daily transit capacity in response to low rainfall. Whether the first half’s pace continues will depend in part on activity during the remaining six months.
Sources: INEC second-quarter GDP report
