🇵🇦 Republic of Panama (Panamá)
Visiting: High Risk
Panama is generally safe, with a few caveats. Road deaths are low, ranking 49th, and freedom is well protected, at 56th. Its weak spot is violent crime, which is common, placed 158th. There is some exposure to conflict, women's safety is fair and LGBT rights are limited, all ranking between 62nd and 85th.
Homicide
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Panama: 13.1
Ranked 23rd in the world for the highest homicide rate.
Why this rank?
Thirteen killings per 100,000 people a year is over the WHO's epidemic line of ten, where the deadliest countries start.
Is it safe to visit?
Take care. The rate is more than twice the world average, and over half of 2024's killings were gang-related.
Why we updated the score?
The security ministry has published its 2025 count, 593, up from 577. The UN takes its figure from the ministry a year later, so we used the new count.
Road Fatalities
Road-traffic deaths per 100,000 people per year — lower is better.
Panama: 7.3
Ranked 49th in the world for the safest roads.
Why this rank?
Seven deaths per 100,000 people a year is low but close to seven and a half, which is half the world average.
Is it safe to visit?
Safe by world standards.
Conflict
Conflict deaths inside the country in the last twelve months, as recorded by the Uppsala conflict database, civilians killed on purpose, and any UN sanctions or court order over a war. The worst of those sets the colour. Lower is better.
Panama: 1.04
Ranked 62nd least conflict-affected country in the world.
Why this rank?
Nothing in twenty-five years. The last conflict death the Uppsala conflict database records in Panama was in December 1989.
Is it safe to visit?
Safe. Nothing armed anywhere in the country, and the canal talk has stayed talk.
Freedom
Six freedoms rated 0–4 by Freedom House — protest, speech, press, religion, movement and due process. The weakest rating sets the colour, and the total places the country inside it — higher is better.
Panama: 7.18
Ranked 56th freest country in the world.
Why this rank?
In Panama the lowest is due process at 2. Total 20 of 24.
Is it safe to visit?
Democratic institutions, competitive elections and freedom of expression generally respected. Due process is the low rating. Corruption and impunity affect the justice system. Daily life is open.
LGBT Rights
LGBT equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Panama: 4.0
Ranked 85th most equal in the world for LGBT people.
Why this rank?
Same-sex acts have been legal since 2008, but the supreme court rejected marriage equality in 2023. The law index sits at 45 and public opinion at 34.
Is it safe to visit?
Reasonable, with discretion. Conservative attitudes dominate, and small Pride events persist in the capital.
Women's Safety
Women's safety — feeling safe out at night, political violence against women, a fair hearing in court, and how normal violence at home is, with the night figure setting a floor on the colour — higher is better.
Panama: 7.62
Ranked 69th safest country in the world for women.
Why this rank?
The courts rate fairly and violence at home is low. Fifty-four percent of women feel safe out alone at night, and a few attacks on women were recorded in 2024.
Is it safe to visit?
For a woman travelling alone, Panama is a reasonable choice.