Embera: population, jobs, poverty, health and schools
Embera is a province of Panama, number 12 of 12 by population. Embera comarca had 12,358 people at the 2023 census, 0.3% of Panama's 4,064,780, the smallest of 13 provinces and comarcas.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Embera: The unemployment rate in Embera was 2.9% of the labour force in October 2024, 6.6 pp lower than the national figure (9.5%) and 4th lowest of 13 provinces and comarcas.
- Health in Embera: The infant mortality rate in Embera was 18.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023 (4 infant deaths), against 14.8 nationally and 3rd highest of 13 provinces and comarcas.
- Education in Embera: 13.9% of people aged 10 and over in Embera could not read and write at the 2023 census (1,242 people), against 3.7% nationally and 3rd highest of 13 provinces and comarcas.
- Poverty and living standards in Embera: 64.3% of people in Embera lived in general poverty in 2025, 42.4 pp higher than the national figure (21.9%) and 3rd highest of 13 provinces and comarcas, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
How fast is the population of Embera growing?
The population of Embera rose from 10,001 at the 2010 census to 12,358 in 2023, a change of +23.6%, against +19.3% nationally. By growth since 2010 it was 3rd fastest 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 Embera?
At the 2023 census Embera had 89.3 women for every 100 men (5,830 women and 6,528 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 Embera?
The 2023 census counted 2,471 occupied private dwellings in Embera, +27.4% on the 1,940 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 Embera?
Embera had 5.0 residents per occupied private dwelling at the 2023 census, 3rd 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
- Darien 54,235
- Kuna Yala 32,016
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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