In 2024, there were approximately 12.9 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in Panama, up from 11.5 a year earlier. In 2014, the murder rate stood at 15 victims per 100,000 citizens, the highest level registered in the indicated period. Overall, Panama's homicide rates were still below those of Mexico, Venezuela, and Haiti, for instance.

In 2024, the topmost crime in Panama was domestic violence, with over 21 thousand registered cases, followed by thefts, with almost 17 thousand cases.

In 2023, at least 556 people were victims of homicide in Panama. This number shows a considerable increase of 55 such deaths in comparison to the previous year, when 501 murder victims were recorded. Panama is one of the Latin American countries with the lowest homicide rates.

FBI National Incident-Based Reporting System (FBI NIBRS) crime data for Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), including incidents, statistics, demographics, and agency information across multiple jurisdictions.

FBI National Incident-Based Reporting System (FBI NIBRS) crime data for Panama Police Department (City) in Oklahoma, including incidents, statistics, demographics, and detailed incident information.

According to a survey carried out in 2023, between four and nine percent of respondents in Panama said that they had been asked or had to pay a bribe in different interactions with public authorities (police officers and/or government employees). Panama ranked towards the bottom among other Latin American countries in this regard.

In 2024, the highest homicide rate among 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries surveyed was in Haiti, with around 62 murders committed per 100,000 inhabitants. Trinidad and Tobago came in second, with a homicide rate of 46, while Honduras ranked seventh, with 25. In the same year, the lowest rate was recorded in El Salvador, with a homicide rate of 1.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. A violence-ridden region Violence and crime are some of the most pressing problems affecting Latin American society nowadays. More than 40 of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world are located in this region, as well as one of the twenty countries with the least peace in the world according to the Global Peace Index. Despite governments’ large spending on security and high imprisonment rates, drug and weapon trafficking, organized crime, and gangs have turned violence into an epidemic that affects the whole region and a solution to this issue appears to be hardly attainable. The cost of violence in Mexico Mexico stands out as an example of the great cost that violence inflicts upon a country, since beyond claiming human lives, it also affects everyday life and has a negative impact on the economy. Mexicans have a high perceived level of insecurity, as they do not only fear becoming victims of homicide, but also of other common crimes, such as assault or rape. Such fear prevents people from performing everyday activities, for instance, going out at night, taking a taxi or going to the movies or the theater. Furthermore, the economic toll of violence in Mexico is more than considerable. For example, the cost of homicide and violent crime amounted to 2099.8 and 1778.1 billion Mexican pesos in 2023, respectively.

In 2020, around 11.5 thousand cases of theft were reported to the Panamanian police. This represents a decrease of more than 20 percent compared to the previous year. Robberies, with almost 5.3 thousand cases, registered an even deeper decrease in the onset year of the COVID-19 pandemic, surpassing a 40 percent drop from 2019.

In 2023, the percentage of the population aged over 18 who is very afraid of being a victim of crime in Panama was estimated at approximately 22 percent. Between 2007 and 2023, the figure dropped by around three percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Panama PA: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data was reported at 2.194 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.482 Ratio for 2015. Panama PA: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data is updated yearly, averaging 1.927 Ratio from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2016, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.614 Ratio in 2013 and a record low of 1.127 Ratio in 2006. Panama PA: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Panama – Table PA.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides, female are estimates of unlawful female homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; ;

Panama PA: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data was reported at 11.400 Ratio in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 14.700 Ratio for 2014. Panama PA: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 11.400 Ratio from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2015, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.000 Ratio in 2009 and a record low of 9.079 Ratio in 1996. Panama PA: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Panama – Table PA.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides are estimates of unlawful homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; Weighted average;