country profile

Panama

Latin America & CaribbeanHigh income4.52M population

Last updated May 3, 2026

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Composite GEFRI Score

Emerging readiness

Panama demonstrates early-stage readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (41st percentile worldwide). Investments are generating initial gains, yet substantial gaps persist in several dimensions. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.

46.66Composite score
Global percentile
41st
Global rank
#106
Regional rank
#18
Viewing data for
Infrastructure
61.63
51st percentileGlobal avg. 54.77
Human Capital
47.16
39th percentileGlobal avg. 47.01
Innovation
35.60
31st percentileGlobal avg. 45.21
Governance
50.09
58th percentileGlobal avg. 47.75
Access & Parity
38.82
40th percentileGlobal avg. 49.65

Country profile

Panama performs close to the global average across all GEFRI dimensions. Progress is evident, yet stronger ambition is needed to reach futures readiness among global peers.

All or most indicators are based on observed data, giving planners a dependable evidence base for decisions. Uneven scores across dimensions highlight areas that need targeted coordination.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Governance effectiveness is below global norms, affecting the stability of education reforms. Girls outperform boys in secondary pathways, adding pressure to address male dropout risks.

GEFRI Composite presents a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning. Regionally, School Access and Gender Parity lags peers the most, signalling where investment could have the highest impact.

Key insights

  • Places 106th worldwide.
  • Holds a regional position of 18th within Latin America & Caribbean.
  • Scores range from Infrastructure (61.6) to Innovation (35.6), reflecting variation across dimensions.
  • Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.

Regional peers: Latin America & Caribbean

Composite GEFRI Score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
351Chile69.40
412Argentina63.42
453Uruguay62.34
St. Vincent and the GrenadinesMicrostate58.71
Cayman IslandsMicrostate58.08
664Peru57.61
Antigua and BarbudaMicrostate57.06
St. Kitts and NevisMicrostate56.86
GrenadaMicrostate56.17
755Colombia55.43
766Mexico55.42
Turks and Caicos IslandsMicrostate54.88
787Trinidad and Tobago54.51
828Puerto Rico (US)53.59
839Brazil53.37
8410Cuba53.27
DominicaMicrostate52.45
BarbadosMicrostate51.98
8911Dominican Republic51.35
9112Ecuador50.99
St. LuciaMicrostate50.61
9413Bolivia50.49
9814Costa Rica49.21
9915Bahamas, The48.87
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)Microstate48.52
10116Jamaica47.99
St. Martin (French part)Microstate47.56
10417Belize47.13
10618Panama46.66
ArubaMicrostate46.65
Virgin Islands (U.S.)Microstate46.42
British Virgin IslandsMicrostate45.52
10719Paraguay45.05
CuracaoMicrostate43.74
11220Venezuela, RBFCS41.20
11921El Salvador37.36
12022Suriname36.99
12123Guyana36.92
13124Honduras33.35
13925Guatemala31.22
14326Nicaragua29.47
16527HaitiFCS22.71