Panama Consumer Confidence Slips to 73 as Job Expectations Weaken

PANAMA CITY, November 1, 2026 — Panama’s Consumer Confidence Index fell from 75 to 73 points between June and September 2026, with expectations around employment showing the sharpest deterioration, according to a report on the latest survey.

What the index measures

Consumer-confidence surveys measure how households feel about economic conditions and their own outlook. They are not the same as official employment, wage or inflation statistics. Their value is that changes in confidence can indicate how people may approach spending, saving and major household decisions.

Employment concerns stood out

The unemployment-expectations indicator for the next 12 months fell from 87 to 72 points, the report said. It also found that 41% of respondents considered it unlikely they would obtain employment in the next six months. Those figures describe survey responses, not confirmed future job outcomes.

Not every component moved the same way

The savings indicator rose from 70 to 74, while the household economic-situation indicator improved from 79 to 81. That mixed picture is important: a headline decline in the overall index does not mean every household or every indicator is moving in the same direction.

The survey was based on 700 nationwide telephone interviews conducted from September 14 to 24, with a reported 3.7-point margin of error at a 95% confidence level. Readers should consider the methodology alongside the headline number.

Source: Infobae Panamá