In the capital, the economic value of construction permits was $775.5 million, $154 million more than the $620.8 million reported in 2024. In the capital area, the value of these permits reached $255.9 million, an increase of 13.7%. As for non-residential permits, their economic value last year was $366.5 million. In this category, the district of Colón stands out again, which improved the amount of approved non-residential permits by $31.5 million, representing a 46.5% increase compared to 2024. In the case of Colón, the economic value of construction last year was $37.1 million, slightly higher than the $36.8 million in 2024.
Residential Area The main income generated from construction permits, additions, and repairs came from the residential area, with $607.9 million in 2025. In the district of Panamá, the value of residential permits was $519.6 million, an increase of 31.3%. The district of Panamá was the one that showed the most dynamism in the sector during last year, with an increase of 24.9%, followed by Colón, which had an increase of 0.8%. This amount is a little over $6 million less than the $980.6 million reached in 2024, a decrease of -0.6%. The value of construction, additions, and private repairs recorded in the main districts of the country in 2025 was $974.5 million, according to preliminary data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC).
In total, 1.47 million square meters were approved in 2025, mainly in the capital district, which covered 968 thousand square meters and increased by 29.5%. The best months for this district were November ($6.4 million), May ($4.2 million), and March ($4.1 million). This time, Panamá was the only district with positive numbers, as in the rest, the area worked on was less than in 2024. The best months were June ($111.6 million), July ($78.9 million), and November ($72.7 million). In Colón, construction covered 36 thousand square meters, a 60.7% decrease, while in Arraiján it was 109 thousand square meters, a decrease of -58.3%. In other districts, the performance of the activity was negative with drops of -60.9% in Arraiján and -43.2% in Aguadulce, Chitré, David, La Chorrera, and Santiago.
Construction Area When looking at the construction areas covered by the permits granted, nationally, there was a decrease of -11.9% compared to the previous year. Construction behaved the same last year as the previous one, with a slight decrease in the economic value of approved permits, one of the indicators used to measure its performance.
