Darien: population, jobs, poverty, health and schools
Darien is a province of Panama, number 10 of 12 by population. Darien province had 54,235 people at the 2023 census, 1.3% of Panama's 4,064,780, 3rd smallest of 13 provinces and comarcas.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Darien: The unemployment rate in Darien was 4.8% of the labour force in October 2024, 4.7 pp lower than the national figure (9.5%) and 6th lowest of 13 provinces and comarcas.
- Health in Darien: The infant mortality rate in Darien was 17.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023 (17 infant deaths), against 14.8 nationally and 4th highest of 13 provinces and comarcas.
- Education in Darien: 9.8% of people aged 10 and over in Darien could not read and write at the 2023 census (4,132 people), against 3.7% nationally and 4th highest of 13 provinces and comarcas.
- Poverty and living standards in Darien: 32.8% of people in Darien lived in general poverty in 2025, 10.9 pp higher than the national figure (21.9%) and 5th highest of 13 provinces and comarcas, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
How fast is the population of Darien growing?
The population of Darien rose from 48,378 at the 2010 census to 54,235 in 2023, a change of +12.1%, against +19.3% nationally. By growth since 2010 it was 4th slowest of 12 areas that existed in 2010 (Panama province and Panamá Oeste counted together).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censo (INEC), Contraloria General de la Republica de Panama · saved copyHow many women and men live in Darien?
At the 2023 census Darien had 90.0 women for every 100 men (25,697 women and 28,538 men); the national figure was 101.7.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censo (INEC), Contraloria General de la Republica de Panama · saved copyHow many homes are there in Darien?
The 2023 census counted 14,963 occupied private dwellings in Darien, +25.7% on the 11,906 of 2010 (nationally +34.1%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censo (INEC), Contraloria General de la Republica de Panama · saved copyHow many people live in each home in Darien?
Darien had 3.6 residents per occupied private dwelling at the 2023 census, 5th highest of 13 provinces and comarcas; the national figure was 3.4.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censo (INEC), Contraloria General de la Republica de Panama · saved copyHow provinces are governed in Panama
Provinces (10). Governor appointed by the president. Deconcentrated central government.
Every tier of government in Panama
Other provinces of Panama
- Panama 1,439,575
- Chiriqui 471,071
- Colon 281,956
- Cocle 268,264
- Veraguas 259,791
- Ngabe Bugle 212,084
- Bocas Del Toro 159,228
- Herrera 122,071
- Los Santos 98,466
- Kuna Yala 32,016
- Embera 12,358
Up a level: Panama · government and power in Panama
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censo (INEC), Contraloria General de la Republica de Panama: Censos 2000, 2010 y 2023, Cuadro 14: poblacion analfabeta de 10 y mas anos, segun provincia y comarca indigena, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e852c84390e0…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censo (INEC), Contraloria General de la Republica de Panama: Censos 2010 y 2023, Cuadro 1: viviendas particulares ocupadas y poblacion por sexo, segun provincia y comarca indigena, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ddf82049da8e…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censo (INEC), Contraloria General de la Republica de Panama: Encuesta de Mercado Laboral, agosto 2023 y octubre 2024, Cuadro 2: poblacion de 15 y mas anos por condicion de actividad economica, provincia y comarca, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 49e795f2161c…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censo (INEC), Contraloria General de la Republica de Panama: Censos 2010 y 2023, Cuadro 15: poblacion de 5 a 39 anos por asistencia escolar, segun provincia y comarca indigena, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 eaa4b877fbbe…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censo (INEC), Contraloria General de la Republica de Panama: Estadisticas vitales 2023, Cuadro 26: defunciones y tasa de mortalidad infantil, neonatal y posneonatal, segun provincia y comarca de residencia, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5dd8bd5a556f…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censo (INEC), Contraloria General de la Republica de Panama: Estadisticas vitales 2023, Cuadro 2: nacimientos vivos y tasa bruta de natalidad, 2019-23, segun provincia y comarca de residencia, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3f48a1d1b1fc…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censo (INEC), Contraloria General de la Republica de Panama: Estadisticas vitales 2023, Cuadro 5: nacimientos vivos por peso al nacer, segun provincia y comarca de residencia, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3288c985d027…)
- Ministerio de Economia y Finanzas (MEF), Direccion de Analisis Economico y Social, con base en la Encuesta de Hogares del INEC: Pobreza e Indigencia, Ano 2025 (Cuadro 4: porcentaje de personas en pobreza segun provincias y comarcas indigenas, 2024 y 2025), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 da3b189a8b36…)
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