Panama Administrative Divisions
What is the hierarchy of administrative divisions in Panama?
Here’s a breakdown of the hierarchy:
1. Provinces: Panama is divided into 16 provinces.
2. Districts: Provinces are subdivided into districts.
3. Subdivisions: These are the smallest administrative units, often found within districts.
List of Panama's administrative divisions with their counts and names
These are the summarized administrative divisions. The full dataset is available in the Download Center.
| iso | country | admin level 1 | admin level 2 | admin level 3 | admin level 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA | Panama | Bocas del Toro (Province) | 4 Districts | 40 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Chiriqui (Province) | 14 Districts | 105 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Cocle (Province) | 6 Districts | 47 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Colon (Province) | 6 Districts | 43 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Darien (Province) | 3 Districts | 26 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Embera-Wounaan (Indigenous territory) | 2 Districts | 5 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Guna de Madungandi (Indigenous territory) | This level doesn’t exist for this country. | This level doesn’t exist for this country. | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Guna de Wargandi (Indigenous territory) | This level doesn’t exist for this country. | This level doesn’t exist for this country. | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Guna Yala (Indigenous territory) | 1 District | 4 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Herrera (Province) | 7 Districts | 49 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Los Santos (Province) | 7 Districts | 81 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Naso Tjer Di (Indigenous territory) | 1 District | 1 Subdivision | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Ngabe-Bugle (Indigenous territory) | 9 Districts | 72 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Panama Oeste (Province) | 5 Districts | 59 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Panama (Province) | 6 Districts | 57 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| PA | Panama | Veraguas (Province) | 12 Districts | 105 Subdivisions | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
Why is building an Administrative Divisions Database complex?
The complexity arises from inconsistent global standards, frequent boundary changes, non-uniform naming conventions (e.g., “suburb” in Australia vs. “county” in the US), and variations in administrative levels across countries. Integrating and harmonizing data from multiple sources requires advanced normalization, versioning, and geospatial validation techniques.
How does GeoPostcodes solve the problem for you?
Our standardized database overcomes the complexity of different administrative division
systems worldwide. Our database follows a unified structure that you can integrate
seamlessly into your system or platform of choice without needing to become an expert in
each country’s unique administrative hierarchy.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Panama is divided into 10 provinces (Provincias) and 6 indigenous territories (Comarcas indígenas), which form the top-level administrative units. These are subdivided into 77 districts (Distritos). The smallest administrative level consists of 631 subdivisions (Corregimientos). Major provinces include Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, and Cocle.
Panama has 3 administrative levels. Level 1: 10 provinces (Provincias) and 6 indigenous territories (Comarcas indígenas). Level 2: 77 districts (Distritos). Level 3: 631 subdivisions (Corregimientos).
Panama operates on a 3‑level system starting with 16 provinces, then districts, and subdivisions as the smallest administrative units. Note that Guna de Madungandi, Guna de Wargandi do not have sub-divisions at the next level.
In Panama, provinces and indigenous territories both sit at administrative level 1 but serve different functions. Provinces (provincias) — there are 10 — typically group multiple smaller municipalities under a shared administration. Indigenous territories (comarcas indígenas) — there are 6 — are a larger city or urban area that handle its own administration independently.
Panamanian administrative divisions have specific local names at each level. In Spanish, provinces are called Provincias; indigenous territories are called Comarcas indígenas; districts are called Distritos; subdivisions are called Corregimientos. These local-language terms appear in official documents, legal records, and government databases, so matching them correctly is important for data integration and compliance.
Administrative boundaries in Panama change as governments reorganize regions, merge municipalities, or create new administrative units to reflect population shifts and political decisions. Changes most commonly affect the subdivisions level, where Panama currently has 631 units. Businesses that rely on Panamanian administrative data should use a regularly updated reference dataset to avoid mismatches in geocoding, tax jurisdiction mapping, and compliance reporting.