Country Factsheet
Panama
This factsheet provides an overview of economic inclusion programs in Panama. Economic inclusion programs are a bundle of coordinated, multidimensional interventions that support individuals, households, and communities in raising their incomes and building their assets. The data used for this factsheet comes from the Partnership for Economic Inclusion’s Landscape Survey 2023.
Country Facts
Region
Latin America & Caribbean
Population
4.35 million
Income Group
High income
FCV country (WB FY24 list)
No
Poverty Headcount (share of population below the poverty line)
National Poverty Line
21.50%
Multidimensional Poverty Index
N/A
$2.15/day (2017 PPP)
1.10%
Programs
Number of economic inclusion programs
6Institutional delivery (lead agency)
- Nongovernment-led
- Government-led
Geographic area
- Rural only
- Urban/peri
- Mix (urban & rural)
Participants
Number of participants
3,536Number of people benefiting
12,977Participants served by government-led programs (%)
92.05%Main Program Objectives
Wage employment
Self-employment
Income diversification
Productivity
Food security
Market access
Women's empowerment
Social inclusion
Social cohesion
Financial inclusion
Social services
Climate resilience
- More than 2/3 of programs
- Between 1/3 and less than 2/3 of programs
- Fewer than 1/3 of programs
Participant Profile
Targeted Poverty Segments
Poor
Extreme poor
Ultra-poor
Those above the poverty line
Doesn't target by poverty level
Targeted Population Groups
Women
Children
Youth
Older people
Persons with disabilities
Displacement-affected
Climate-affected
Marginalized
Conflict-affected
- More than 2/3 of programs
- Between 1/3 and less than 2/3 of programs
- Fewer than 1/3 of programs
CORE PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Transfer
Business capital
Wage employment facilitation
Skills training
Coaching
Financial services facilitation
Market links
Climate resilience support
ECONOMIC INCLUSION PROGRAMS SURVEYED
| Program Name | Year program began | Lead Agencies | Program Description | No. of Current Participants | % Female Participants | Poverty Targeting | Digital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development of Territorial Networks | 2020 | Ministry of Social Development (MIDES) | The program includes beneficiaries of conditional cash transfer programs for territorial development, providing women in rural areas with training, technical assistance, and transfer of productive assets to strengthen social capital and enhance productivity. | 2,055 | 76-99% of participants | Targets poor broadly | No |
| Entrepreneurship School | 2021 | HIAS | The program supports vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers to develop business ideas through a general business curriculum, support on business plans, and seed capital for incubation. | 100 | 51-75% of participants | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
| Entrepreneurship School 2.0 | 2022 | Banesco AND HIAS | The program provides customized support to active entrepreneurs, helping them make their businesses more sustainable through support on formalization and value chains. | 111 | 51-75% of participants | Does not target by poverty level | Yes |
| Social Cohesion Program | 2019 | Ministry of Social Development | The program aims to increase the productive capacities of Indigenous populations and generate sustainable incomes by providing a combination of training, technical assistance, and asset transfers. | 1,000 | 26-50% of participants | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
| Entrepreneur Godfather (Padrino Empresario) Program | 1986 | Ministry of Social Development (MIDES) | The program targets adolescents from 7 to 15 years of age in conditions of social vulnerability regarding their psychosocial development. The program enhances their skills through internships in the private sector. | 200 | 26-50% of participants | Does not target by poverty level | Yes |
| Talent without Borders | 2021 | HIAS with the support of UNHCR | The program facilitates wage employment for refugees and migrants by providing training, mentorship, and employer engagement to prepare job seekers, raise awareness about migration benefits, and support companies in recruitment. | 70 | 51-75% of participants | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
Only programs that have given their consent to share their program data are included in this table
The Partnership for Economic Inclusion (PEI) is a global platform that unites non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, research institutions, funding partners, and the World Bank to support government adoption and scale up of economic inclusion programs that empower vulnerable people to lift themselves out of extreme poverty.
| DNA: Does Not Apply; FY: Fiscal Year; FCV: Fragility, Conflict, and Violence; MPI: Multidimensional Poverty Index; NPL: National Poverty Line; N/A: Not available; WB: World Bank |