🇵🇦 Panama: Politics & Democracy
Broadly yes — Panama scores 57.5 on the V-Dem liberal democracy index (0–100 scale), placing it among functioning democracies, though with weaker liberal safeguards than the top-ranked states.
Current leaders
José Raúl Mulino
Head of State · Realizing Goals
Democracy trend
Voting alignment
Panama's closest UN General Assembly voting partners since 1946:
Frequently asked questions
Is Panama a democracy?
Broadly yes — Panama scores 57.5 on the V-Dem liberal democracy index (0–100 scale), placing it among functioning democracies, though with weaker liberal safeguards than the top-ranked states. It ranks #49 of 179 countries in 2025.
Is democracy in Panama improving or declining?
Panama's V-Dem liberal democracy score has improved by 2.2 points over the past decade, standing at 57.5 in 2025 (1-year change: −0.3).
Who leads Panama?
José Raúl Mulino is Panama's head of state (Realizing Goals).