With an estimated growth of 4.2% for this year, Panama would be the Central American country with the highest growth.
Panama is emerging as the second fastest-growing country in Latin America, surpassed only by Argentina, and surpassing large economies such as Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). With an estimated growth of 4.2% for this year, Panama would be the Central American country with the highest growth, surpassing Guatemala and Costa Rica, which would only achieve 3.6% and 3.5% respectively.
In Latin America, Argentina leads the way in economic growth with 5%, followed by Panama with 4.2%, Paraguay with 4%, the Dominican Republic with 3.7%, and Guatemala with 3.6%. According to ECLAC , Ecuador is at the bottom of the regional economic growth chart with 1.5%, Bolivia with 1.5%, Mexico with 0.3%, and Cuba and Haiti, both with negative growth of (-1.5%) and (-2.3%).
In its analysis, the organization maintains that Latin America’s economic growth for 2025 is projected between 2.2% and 2.3%, but it remains a period of low growth due to low investment, debt, and the fragility of internal and external factors such as weak external demand and protectionist policies. Panama’s economy grew 5.2% in the first quarter of 2025, driven primarily by the performance of the Panama Canal and the transportation sector, according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) of the Comptroller General’s Office.
Regarding annual projections, the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) maintained a growth forecast of 4% for 2025 at the end of May, while the business association projected 5%. The transportation sector was the main driver, with an increase of 26.2%. The Panama Canal played a prominent role, showing a 43.6% increase in toll revenue. An increase in container movement at ports and the use of public transport was also observed. (https://newsroompanama.com/2025/08/25/central-america-panama-will-have-the-highest-economic-growth/)
