The Monthly Index of Economic Activity (IMAE) measures how Panama's economy moves month by month and signals the country's growth direction. Among the sectors that drove economic activity, transport, storage, and communications stood out, boosted by the movement through the Panama Canal, which registered toll income and a higher volume of cargo transported by ships. The report also reflects declines in activities such as banana cultivation for export and the external sale of fish, fillets, and other refrigerated and frozen seafood products. Overall, IMAE closed 2025 with an accumulated growth of 4.33%, while Panama's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 2.7% in 2024, mainly driven by commerce and internal consumption. Panama's economy started 2026 with positive numbers. This was added to by the performance of air transport and the movement of containers in the national port system. Trade also showed positive signals, supported by the sale of new cars, fuel consumption, and an increase in the value of re-exports from the Colón Free Zone, considered the largest free zone on the continent. In turn, industrial activity grew moderately, with contributions from activities such as poultry meat processing, pig slaughter, and the production of beverages like rum, beer, and soft drinks. Hotels and restaurants also maintained a good pace, driven by the arrival of tourists by air and cruise ships, which generated higher hotel occupancy and more movement in restaurants and businesses in the gastronomic sector. Not everything was positive. The Monthly Index of Economic Activity (IMAE) grew 4.07% in January, mainly driven by sectors such as transport, commerce, and finance, according to data released this Monday by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC). Although the growth is significant, the figure was below the 6.69% recorded in January 2025, according to the INEC report, an entity attached to the Comptroller General of the Republic.
