Panamanians perceive more progress

The value of national production is expected to grow by close to 10% this year, following a 7.5% increase in 2010.

Thanks partly to this kind of economic performance, Panamanians are optimistic about their future, so much so that 64% of the population believes that the country is moving in the right direction.

In fact, Panama is number one in Latin America, in terms of public perception of progress, according to a study conducted by Latinobarómetro Corporation, published last month.

In Central America, Nicaragua and El Salvador placed second and third, respectively.

The research involved 19,000 interviews in 18 Latin American countries.

The study measures progress not only in terms of economic growth, but also leadership, politics, opportunity, and distributive fairness.


Figures reflect the percentage of the population, which perceives that the country is progressing.

1. Panama 64
2. Nicaragua 36
3. El Salvador 21
4. Costa Rica 18
5. Guatemala 8
6. Honduras 7