What Language Do They Speak in Panama?

Official language of Panama Spanish

Facts last checked 9 October 2026.

The official language of Panama is Spanish. Spanish is also an official language in 20 other countries worldwide.

Learn some Spanish before you go

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Languages of Panama at a glance

Official language	Spanish
Number of official languages	1
Countries on this site where Spanish is official	21
People (demonym)	Panamanian
Capital	Panama City
Internet domain	.pa

Other countries where Spanish is official

Spanish is also an official language in 20 other countries covered here:

Languages of neighbouring countries

Colombia	Spanish
Costa Rica	Spanish

Panama in context

Panama covers 75,417 km², making it the 116th largest of the 196 countries on this site.
Its population density of about 54 people per km² ranks 131st of 196 (1st = most crowded).
It shares a land border with 2 countries: Colombia, Costa Rica.
With 4,064,780 people, Panama holds about 8.0% of the population of Central America.
Traffic drives on the right, and calendars start the week on Monday.
Panama is a member state of the United Nations.

Compare Panama

Panama vs Costa Rica

Useful phrases for visitors to Panama

Everyday Spanish phrases you will hear and use in Panama:

English	Spanish
Hello	Hola
Thank you	Gracias
Please	Por favor
Goodbye	Adiós
Yes	Sí
No	No

Spellings can vary by region, and some languages use different forms for formal or informal speech. Even a simple greeting in the local language is usually appreciated.

Languages in Panama — FAQ