巴拿马地区收入差距

Regional IncomeDisparaties in Panama Mai Hakamada SIP/2025/125 IMF Selected Issues Papers are prepared by IMF staff asbackground documentation for periodic consultations withmember countries.It is based on the information available atthe time it was completed onJuly 9, 2025. This paper isalso published separately as IMF Country Report No25/246. 2025SEP IMF Selected Issues Paper Western Hemisphere Department Regional Income Disparities in PanamaPrepared by Mai Hakamada (WHD) Authorized for distribution by Bas B. BakkerSeptember2025 IMF Selected Issues Papersare prepared by IMF staff as background documentation for periodicconsultations with member countries.It is based on the information available at the time it wascompleted onJuly 9th,2025. This paper is also published separately as IMF Country Report No25/246. ABSTRACT:Panama exhibits high income inequality largely driven by disparities between regions rather thanwithin them. The Panama Canal corridor, including Panama City and Colón, benefits from concentratedeconomic activities with high labor productivity and incomes. In contrast, rural and indigenous provinces facestructural constraints such as poor infrastructure, limited education, and high informality, resulting in lowproductivity and poverty. Accounting decomposition shows that regional income gaps stem mainly from laborproductivity differences, influenced by population density, sectoral composition, education, healthcare access,and infrastructure. These factors collectively underpin Panama’s pronounced regional income disparities. RECOMMENDED CITATION:Mai Hakamada, “Regional Income Disparities in Panama.” IMF Selected IssuesPaper 25/125 Regional IncomeDisparaties in Panama Prepared by Mai Hakamada PANAMA Approved ByWestern HemisphereDepartment Prepared ByMai Hakamada REGIONAL INCOME DISPARITIES IN PANAMA _____________________________________2 A. Introduction and Background________________________________________________________2B. Regional Overview ___________________________________________________________________3C. Differences in Per Capita GDP: A Bookkeeping Perspective __________________________4D. Factors Explaining the Differences ___________________________________________________5E. Conclusion ___________________________________________________________________________8 References______________________________________________________________________________9 REGIONAL INCOME DISPARITIES IN PANAMA A.Introduction and Background 1.Income inequality in Panama is high byboth global and regional standards.In 2019 thecountry’s Gini coefficient was 49.1—well above theworld average of 39.7 and the Latin America &Caribbean average of 47.9. 2.To a large extent, high income inequality isthe result of income inequality between regions,rather than income inequality within regions. •The Panama Canal corridor—including Panama City and Colón—enjoys relatively high per‑capitaincomes thanks to concentrated economic activity in shipping, logistics, trade and tourism. •By contrast, rural and indigenous provinces face structural constraints—poor infrastructure,limited access to health and education services, and weak market linkages—that keep outputand employment rates low. 3.These regional divides show up clearly in household incomes: in urban provinces likePanamá and Panamá Oeste, a large share of families earn more than B/.1,000 per month, whereasin comarcas such as Guna Yala the majority earn under B/.250 per month. This analysis explores the underlying drivers of regional income disparities.We show that from an accounting decomposition perspective,regional differences in per capita GDP are largely theresult of differences in labor productivity, thoughvariations in employment rates also play a role.Differences in labor productivity in turn are related todifferences in population density, the share ofpopulation working in agriculture, informalemployment, infrastructure gaps and educationalattainment. B.Regional Overview 5.Urban Provinces.Panama City, Colón and Chiriquí have the highest per-capita incomes andthe lowest poverty rates in Panama. Panama City functions as the country’s principal financial andcommercial hub, hosting the Panama Canal Authority, a large banking sector, and numerousmultinational firms. The concentration of high-value financial services, global enterprises andpremium real estate underpins elevated productivity and wages. Colón, at the northern entrance tothe Canal, serves as a vital trade and maritime center: the Colón Free Trade Zone—one of theworld’s largest—generates substantial customs revenue and supports logistics-related employment.Chiriquí, though predominantly rural, has a strong export-oriented agricultural base—particularly incoffee and livestock—with the city of David emerging as a regional trade node and Boquetedeveloping into a premier tourism destination. 6.Rural Provinces.Bocas del Toro, Veraguas and Darién have noticeably lower per-capita