Panama Military - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security: the Panama National Police (La Policía Nacional de Panamá, PNP), National Air-Naval Service (Servicio Nacional Aeronaval, SENAN), National Border Service (Servicio Nacional de Fronteras, SENAFRONT) (2021)

note: on 10 February 1990, the government of then President Guillermo ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's National Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the creation of a standing military force but allowing the temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of "external aggression"

Military expenditures

1.2% of GDP (2017)

1.3% of GDP (2016)

1.2% of GDP (2015)

1.3% of GDP (2014)

1.4% of GDP (2013)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 20,000 National Police; 4,000 National Border Service; 3,000 National Air-Naval Service (2020)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

Panama's security forces are lightly armed; Canada, Italy and the US have provided equipment to the security forces since 2010 (2020)

NOTE: The information regarding Panama on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Panama 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Panama 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.