Colombia vs Panama
Colombia vs Panama: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 59.9% of GDP in Colombia and 56.6% of GDP in Panama, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Colombia, by 3.3 percentage points, or 1.06 times that in Panama.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Colombia has been higher since 2012, when it overtook Panama.
- In 2025, Colombia ranked 56 and Panama ranked 65 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Colombia at 65.3% of GDP and Panama at 49.6% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Colombia | Panama |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59.9 | 56.6 |
| 2024 | 61 | 57.8 |
| 2023 | 55.4 | 54.4 |
| 2022 | 61.3 | 56.2 |
| 2021 | 64.4 | 58 |
| 2020 | 65.3 | 62.4 |
| 2019 | 51 | 42.5 |
| 2018 | 51.8 | 36.3 |
| 2017 | 49.5 | 34.3 |
| 2016 | 49.9 | 34 |
| 2015 | 50.4 | 34.1 |
| 2014 | 43.3 | 33 |
| 2013 | 37.6 | 30.8 |
| 2012 | 34 | 31.3 |
| 2011 | 35.8 | 35.9 |
| 2010 | 36.5 | 38.5 |
| 2009 | 35.4 | 39.5 |
| 2008 | 32.4 | 40.6 |
| 2007 | 32.7 | 48.2 |
| 2006 | 36 | 56.1 |
| 2005 | 38.5 | 61.6 |
| 2004 | 41.5 | 61.6 |
| 2003 | 45 | 59.9 |
| 2002 | 47.6 | 60.9 |
| 2001 | 41.1 | 62.1 |
| 2000 | 38 | 58 |
| 1999 | 34 | 60.4 |
| 1998 | 27.5 | 64.3 |
| 1997 | 25.3 | 67.3 |
| 1996 | 23.3 | 73.6 |
| 1995 | – | 86.8 |
| 1994 | – | 88.7 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Colombia | Panama |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 59.5 | 56.4 |
| 2027 | 62.9 | 55.9 |
| 2028 | 65.1 | 54.9 |
| 2029 | 65.9 | 53.5 |
| 2030 | 65.7 | 51.6 |
| 2031 | 65.3 | 49.6 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Colombia vs Panama
Health
- Life expectancyColombia: 77.7 years in 2023Panama: 79.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityColombia: 1.2 per 100 live births in 2024Panama: 1.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityColombia: 9.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Panama: 12.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionColombia: 2.2% in 2017Panama: 2.68% in 2017
- Suicide rateColombia: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Panama: 5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationColombia: 52.3 million people in 2023Panama: 4.46 million people in 2023
- Population growthColombia: 1.1% a year in 2023Panama: 1.29% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateColombia: 1.65 births per woman in 2023Panama: 2.12 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationColombia: 78.8% in 2025Panama: 66.2% in 2025
- Median ageColombia: 31.6 years in 2023Panama: 29.6 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overColombia: 9.4% in 2023Panama: 9.1% in 2023
- Net migration rateColombia: 3 per 1,000 people in 2023Panama: 1.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingColombia: 3.2% of GDP in 2025Panama: 0% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsColombia: $13.7B in 2025Panama: $0 in 2025
- Military spending per personColombia: $273 in 2025Panama: $0 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingColombia: 9.3% of government spending in 2025Panama: 0% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelColombia: 428,000 people in 2020Panama: 28,000 people in 2020
- National powerColombia: 0.57% of world capability in 2022Panama: 0.03% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersColombia: 1.7% of the labour force in 2020Panama: 1.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsColombia: 22 million TIV in 2025Panama: 2 million TIV in 1989
- Arms exportsColombia: 4 million TIV in 2020Panama: 1 million TIV in 2019