Is Panama safe in 2026?
Panama scores 88.4/100 on the live safety index — very safe. The main pressure on the score comes from crime, natural disasters, political instability. The score has been stable for 23 days. The 24-hour AI forecast calls the trend stable (projected 88.1/100).
88.4 /100very safe
30-day trend
Panama's score fell by −2.0 over the last 30 days (90.4 → 88.4).
Threat breakdown
| Category | Pressure | Score / cap |
|---|---|---|
| Crime | 4.3 / 15 | |
| Natural disasters | 1.1 / 5 | |
| Political instability | 2.8 / 15 | |
| Economy | 1.2 / 8 | |
| Military conflict | 1.8 / 30 | |
| Ecology | 0.1 / 1 | |
| Public health | 0.2 / 3 | |
| Internet freedom | 0.2 / 7 | |
| Sanctions | 0.0 / 4 | |
| Nuclear risk | 0.0 / 12 |
Higher category scores mean more threat pressure; each category is capped by its weight in the 0–100 index. How scores are computed.
Official travel advisory
2 Exercise Increased Caution
The U.S. State Department places Panama at Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution citing crime. Our live index reads 88.4/100. That advisory was last revised Aug 19, 2026, 13 days ago; the index above is recomputed continuously from current reporting.
Source: U.S. Department of State, revised Aug 19, 2026. Levels run 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel). This page is not travel advice.
Latest recorded events
- El Salvador, Panama and Honduras declare emergencies over drought impacts linked to El Niño
- Panama Canal to reduce shipping over El Nino-fuelled drought
- CK Hutchison says ‘forced termination’ of Panama ports cut 1% off throughput
- Panama canal fees soar due to Iran war and El Niño as ship ‘pays $4m to jump queue’
- Panama Canal again tightens draft limits as water levels under pressure
24-hour forecast
Trend: stable · projected score 88.1/100 (generated )
Economic pressures from the canal drought are persistent but have not yet triggered a broader security crisis.
Compared with nearby countries
| Country | Score | 0–100 | vs Panama |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panama | 88.4 | — | |
| Costa Rica | 90.3 | +1.9 | |
| Nicaragua | 69.0 | −19.4 | |
| Colombia | 69.6 | −18.8 | |
| Honduras | 72.1 | −16.3 | |
| El Salvador | 74.6 | −13.8 |