Panama Cities by Population 2024

Located between Central and South America, Panama is famous for its canal, by the US Army between 1904 and 1914, which functions as a major shipping route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Its capital, Panama City, is situated at the Pacific entrance of the canal and is home to a population of almost 900,000 in the city and 1.5 million in the urban area. Panama City also serves as the political and economic center of the country, and the city has many modern buildings in addition to those that remain from its colonial period.

The nearby city of San Miguelito – which is technically part of the Panama City Metropolitan Area – is the second-largest city in the country, with a population of around half a million. San José de David (known as David), an affluent city in the western part of the country, has a population of 144,858 and is the third-largest city in Panama. It is also an increasingly important economic region, with a developing banking sector, as well as being a popular tourist destination.