Languages spoken in Panama
North America · Capital: Panama City · Population 4.5 million
The official language of Panama is Spanish. An estimated 69% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 3.1 million people. The only other recorded language is English, at 14% of the population. Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family. Spanish is also spoken in all two of its neighbours. In total, two languages are recorded in Panama, and their shares add up to 83% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.8 of them.
What languages are spoken in Panama?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpanishIndo-European | 69% | Official | 3.1 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 14% | Spoken | 625,834 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Panama?
The official language of Panama is Spanish. Spanish is spoken by an estimated 69% of the population, or roughly 3.1 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Spanish in Panama?
An estimated 69% of Panama's 4.5 million people speak Spanish, which works out at roughly 3.1 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Panama
- Capital
- Panama City
- Population
- 4.5 million
- Continent
- North America
- Area
- 75,417 km²
- Currency
- PAB and USD
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- PA / PAN / 591
Which countries border Panama?
Panama shares a land border with two countries: Colombia and Costa Rica. Spanish, the most widely spoken language in Panama, is also spoken in Colombia and Costa Rica.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.